Teach me tonight version II
by lostinthemoonlight
Summary: COMPLETE! My own Teach me Tonight: Rory and Jess never got into the accident, but when Luke catches Rory and Jess asleep on the couch in his apartment, hidden emotions will arise, then the story really begins. Please R
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey again, this would be my second story so far. I am not sure if this is going to be a OneShot, it all depends on what you guys want. This one is basically the way I wanted 'Teach Me Tonight' to go. A-S-P's version was well done, but I felt like I wanted something more between R/J. So I hope you like it. Please R&R.**

**Note: I assume some of you who are reading this have already read my story 'The Best Memories Always Return'. It is not yet finished, but I wanted to let it go for a bit. I will not forget it, but I'm sort of stuck. I will update by the end of the month though… I think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, the characters of Gilmore Girls, the town where Gilmore Girls was filmed, basically I don't own anything related to Gilmore Girls, not ever 'sniff' The GG DVD's.**

**Teach me Tonight version II**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**_Oh, and the story will start out sounding exactly like the normal episode, but it will most definitely change in the middle._**

**Chapter 1**

Rory and Lorelai are talking about what Lorelai should tell Dean if he calls, then Jess comes out from behind the curtain and walks over to them, the conversation is forgotten.

"Hey Teach." Jess greets Rory, half joking.

"Hey." She greets him back

"You guys done yet?"

"Just not yet." Lorelai says not wanting to just forget the conversation she was having with her daughter a minute ago.

"Okay, well, I'll be right over there when you are. I just can't wait for that learning to begin. Hey, are we gonna do some of those Schoolhouse Rocks songs?" He says jokingly

"I'll be right there, Jess." Rory replies.

"'Cause they say if you just make learning fun…" He said stalling.

"Give us a minute, okay?" Lorelai says obviously annoyed.

"Well, hurry – a mind is a terrible thing to waste." He jokes then walks away.

"I'll be home early."

"Fine. Bye." Lorelai says then kisses her daughter on the head.

"Bye." Rory replies.

"Bye Jess." Lorelai tries being polite, but she knows that her and Jess will never be on good sides.

"Ma'am." He answers, obviously annoying, when she turns around almost immediately and walks out.

"So, are you ready to start?" She says to Jess.

"Yes, I am." He says he says enthusiastically, yet equally sarcastically.

"Where are your books?" She asks.

"Huh, I don't know." He says smirking.

"How are we gonna study without your books?" She asks, thinking he is insane.

"I guess we can't. Too bad. So, what now – movie?" he smirks again, and she gets frustrated.

"Get your books." Rory orders.

"The cat ate 'em." He keeps on joking around, purposely trying to waste time.

"Get your books or I'm going home." She says and stomps off to get her coat and books.

He sighs; he didn't want her to go. "Wait there." He yells back. She stops and looks up. He takes a cloth and an apple from the counter and does a magic trick, then he hands her the apple. She rolls her eyes then takes the apple.

Later that nigh, Rory and Jess are sitting at a table. Rory is going through a book as Jess plays with a deck of cards.

"Explain to me the political ramifications of the Marshall Plan." She says, then looks up, he is holding a deck of cards to her face.

"Pick a card." He says, she gives him an annoyed look then Rory throws the whole deck on the floor. "Huh, well, that just made the trick a little bit harder." He smirks.

"Jess, focus."

"Where's Dean tonight?"

"We just went over this. There's no way you already forgot it." She ignored the question.

"Work?" he keeps trying.

"I will make you write it out fifty times on the specials board if that's what it takes." Again ignoring it, but he keeps going.

"'Cause if he's not at work, he must be free, so he doesn't care that you're here?" she gives up and answers.

"No, he doesn't. He's visiting his grandmother."

"Where?"

"Chicago."

"So he doesn't know."

"It wouldn't matter."

"So you'll tell him when he gets back?" It didn't really matter to him weather or not she told him. He just wanted to waste her time, and his studying time.

"We're studying." She didn't want to answer that question.

"_You're_ studying, I'm prying into your personal life." He smirks.

"Jess, why won't you at least try to remember the Marshall Plan?" she asks, completely ignoring his last comment.

He decides that the 'Where-or-What-Dean' conversation has lost all of its amusement, so he changes the subject, still ignoring studying. "Have you ever read "Please Kill Me?"

"No." He was getting on her last nerve, she was going to crack any minute now.

"Oral history of the punk movement. You'd like it – you can borrow it if you want." He offers, knowing that she couldn't help but accept.

"I'm here to help you study. Now, if you want me to go, I'll go, but if I'm going to stay, then you will stop distracting me and start paying attention, understand?" she tells him, it wasn't much of a question, it was more likely a demand.

"I understand." He smirks; he knew she was going to agree. Any second now.

"Good. And yes," _Here it comes_, he thought. "I would like to borrow it, thank you very much. Now open your book.

Later Jess finishes writing something on a notepad, and then hands it to Rory. She examines it.

"Done." He smirks.

She examines it. "This isn't Shakespeare."

"It's not?" He asks sarcastically.

"It's the words to a Clash song." She points out.

"Ah, now, but which Clash song?" he asks testing her.

"Hey, I'm not the one being tested right now."

"Ten seconds."

"Jess."

"Nine, eight, seven."

"Stop it." She wouldn't let herself play along to his game.

"Six, five, four."

"You know you're really starting to…" he cut her off.

"Threeee." He kept his gaze on his watch.

"Ooh, ooh, Guns of Brixton!" Great, she played along.

"A-plus." He smirked.

"Why would you even agree to this studying thing in the first place?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Because Luke said I had to." He answered simply.

"You've never done anything because someone said you had to."

"I moved here because someone said I had to." He said while picking at the pie placed in front of them. He had brought it and placed it there while Rory was trying to test him.

"Very different."

"Yeah, well…hey, do you wanna get outta here?" he pulled his finger back and licked it.

"What?" she asked not believing her ears.

"I'm sick of studying." He said and got up and made his way to the door looking through the blinds.

"How can you be sick of studying? You haven't done any studying. You've done card tricks, you've made coffee, you've tried to explain to me how on earth Coldplay could be considered an alternative band, but as of yet, no studying." She pointed out.

"That's your car?" he ignored the comment.

"Yes, it is." She answered simply.

He walked up to her and sat back down, he them leaned in a bit. "Okay, tell you what. Let's go get some ice cream, and then when we get back, I'll study."

"This is a diner, there's ice cream here." Rory said trying to get herself out of this.

"Yes, but we don't have any cones."

"Cones?"

"I need cones."

"Well, so, if we go get ice cream-" Jess cut her off.

"In cooones."

"Then you will be a perfect student for the rest of the night?" she asked wanted to hear it come out if his mouth.

"That's right." Jess replied.

"I could not believe you less. Here, you drive; I'll read you Othello. Won't that be fun?" she asked.

"You have no idea how much." he smirked and grabbed his jacket, she did the same and then they left.

Inside Rory's car, Jess and Rory are each eating an ice cream _cone_.

"Admit it, it's always better in a cooone."

"It's always better in a cone." She admitted.

"Putting ice cream in a dish, eating it with a spoon?" he asked unbelievably.

"What is wrong with people?" she asked smiling.

"Hold the wheel." Jess said randomly.

"What?" she asked, not her asking unbelievably.

"I'm dripping here, hold the wheel." He ordered.

"I can't hold the wheel, you're driving. The person who's driving has to hold the wheel. That's the first thing they teach you in driver's Ed." She said, a bit afraid.

"Huh, I gotta take that class one of those days. Take the wheel." He smirked while liking the dripping ice cream.

"Jess." She was now really afraid.

"I'm letting go." He did as he said and let go. Rory immediately took the wheel.

"Stop! Take it back. Okay, you are taking this wheel back and when you do, I'm going to kill you. I'm just letting you know that." She warned, getting paler by the second.

"I appreciate the warning." He still didn't take the wheel back.

"Jess!" she yelled, frightened.

"Okay, I got it." He took the wheel back and looked at her. "Geez, you look pale. Are you okay?"

"Death, and it's going to be painful." She said, aggravated and afraid.

"You're not gonna kill me. Think how dull your life would be without me." He said, she calmed down and looked at him.

"Serious question?" she asked.

"Okay."

"You know you're smarter than most everybody at your school. It takes you like five minutes to finish a book. You read everything, you remember everything, you could ace those classes easily. Why don't you? You don't need a tutor. It's crazy that they're talking about leaving you back."

"Whatever."

"You can do anything you wanted, you can be anything you wanted."

"Rory." he warned, trying to get out of this.

"Is it like a cool thing?" she said moving her hands.

"I could care less about being cool."

"Well, inform me, please."

"I'm never going to college, why waste the time in high school?"

"And why aren't you going to college?"

"Please."

"What? Please what – why is it so crazy?"

"Ask my mother, she could give you a couple reasons. Oh, and I'm sure Principal Mertin can chime in with a few good ones. In fact, ask your mother. She doesn't know me all that well but I'm sure she could improvise a few things." Rory could tell he was hurt, no one had any faith in him, no wonder he wasn't going to do anything.

"Do not give me that whole 'I'm so misunderstood, Kurt Cobainy' thing. You are way stronger than that and I don't even wanna hear it. You have to go to college." She tried, maybe if she had some courage in him it would get to him.

"No, _you_ have to go to college." He corrected.

"But don't you have any plans?"

"Yes, I plan to get out of Stars Hollow."

"And go where?" she asked, he was so stubborn.

"Wherever."

"And do what?"

"Whatever."

"Wherever, whatever." She mimicked.

"I'll live where I live, I'll work when I need money, and I'll see where I end up."

"You could do more." Rory kept pushing.

"Oh, here come the pompoms." He said sarcastically.

"No, no pompoms, just me saying you could do more." She said. Then there was a short silence. Jess decided to change the subject; he got tired of this one anyway.

He looked at her and smirked. "So, Courtney, what about you?"

She laughed and talked at the same time; "What about me?"

"What are your big ambitions?"

"Harvard." Rory said proud of herself.

"And after Harvard?"

"I'm gonna be a journalist." She said still proud.

"Paula Zahn?"

"Christiane Amapour." She corrected.

"You're gonna be an overseas correspondent?"

"Yes, I Am." Still proud.

"You're gonna crawl around in trenches and stand on top of buildings and have bombs going off in the background and civil wars raging all around you?" he asked, in disbelief. How could someone as tiny and thin as her complete such a task?

"What, you don't think I can do it?"

"No, I do. Just sounds a little too-" she cut him off.

"A little what?" she asked worried.

"Just sounds a little too rough for you."

"Well, it's not a little too rough for me. I hope it's not a little too rough for me; I've been talking about this forever. I mean, I don't even know what I would do if –" this time Jess cut her off.

"Hey, I didn't mean to freak you out. I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll do it." She gave him an unknown expression. "You will, I promise. I'll help you practice, okay?" He asked, still the same expression lied on her face. "Tomorrow, you'll stand in the middle of the street and I will drive straight at you screaming in a foreign language."

She giggled. "Well, you're gonna have to learn a foreign language first." She smiled, the expression gone.

"Well, it's lucky I've got me a tutor, isn't it?" They looked at eachother and locked eyes. She giggled again. "Okay, so I guess we should be getting back. I did promise to study if you went on this ice cream run with me." She looked away first, and then he did.

"Yes, you did."

"Okay, so I just go straight and we'll be back at Luke's." Jess pointed out.

"Good sense of direction." She replied.

"Of course, I could turn right and then we'd just be driving around in circles for awhile." There was a short pause then he looked at Rory, she looked at him really quickly then looked away.

"Turn right." She said.

He smiled. "As you wish." And then turned right.

They stayed silent for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence. They would sneak glances at one another every once in a while, pretending the other hadn't noticed.

"So tell me, why'd you agree to do this?" he asked.

"You mean come on this ice cream run?" she asked.

Jess shook his head. "No, I mean why'd you agree to tutor me, when just a minute ago you said I was smarter then everybody at school?"

She pondered it for a minute. '_Why did I agree to this anyway?' _she thought. "I guess, I wanted to help, I mean Luke asked me and I didn't want to say no."

"Huh." He thought it might have been something else. Guess he was wrong.

"Mr. Monosyllabic has returned."

"He left? When?" Jess played along.

"You really hate it here don't you?" she asked randomly.

He looked at her then looked back. "Yeah, but it has some good about it."

"Care to elaborate a bit?" she asked.

"Not really."

"Jess."

"Fine, the bridge, it's the only place I can go and I know no one else will follow, well sometimes you do but I dint mind you." She blushed. He pretended he didn't realize. "And the bookstore has some pretty good selections."

"You don't like anyone here?" she asked.

He wanted to say her, but it would ruin the moment and make this awkward, so he chose against it. "Luke… He can be overprotective at times, but he means well. Don't say anything though, it would ruin my image." He smirked.

"And we wouldn't want to do that, now would we?"

His smirk grew. " No we wouldn't."

They drove around in circles some more and talked about random things. When they approached Luke's, Rory couldn't help but feel like it was getting late, and that they should study some more. "Jess. What time is it."

He looked at his watch. "It's around nine o'clock."

"Maybe we should…"

"Yeah, it's getting late."

"And now you have to study." He made a face.

"Yay, I can't wait." Jess said sarcastically.

They drove up to Luke's and Jess parked the car in front of the diner door. He took the keys out and got out. He went up to Rory's door and opened it, he held the door pen for her.

"My night in shining armor" she smiled.

"Common stop." He said when she pinched his cheek. He would never admit it, but he hated it when people did that, it actually hurt.

"Aw, did I hurt you?" she asked mockingly.

"No." he replied, rubbing his red cheek.

"Whatever you say." Both he and she rolled their eyes.

Jess unlocked the diner door and went in. Rory made her way to the table they were studying at before and sat down. Jess sat down parallel from her. "The studying will commence right now." She said. She opened her book. "Now tell me the political ramifications of the Marshall Plan."

He didn't reply, instead he put his head on the table and started fake snoring.

"Jess. You promised, don't do this." She wined.

"But you knew I wasn't going to study." He said.

"Jess, please." She begged pouting.

"Rory please." He pouted mocking her.

"That's it, when is your next test?"

"Exam." He corrected.

"Right. When is your next exam."

"It depends, what subject?"

"Jess." She warned.

"I have a math exam on Tuesday, a lit exam on Thursday and a paper due Monday."

"Ok, let's work on your paper then, what is it about?"

"Huh, I dunno."

"Oh my!"

"I really don't, I was reading when she assigned it. I swear."

"Great, it's already past nine, you'll be lucky if Ms. Kim lets me talk to Lane."

"Why are you calling Lane?" he asked confused.

"Because, both of you have the same classes, she must know what it's about."

"Who told you that?"

"Lane. Now can I use your cell phone, mine is dead?" she asked.

"I don't have a cell phone."

"What? Why?"

"Don't believe in them."

"Okay?"

"Use the diner phone, we're closed anyways."

"Ok, thanks."

Rory dialed Lane's number. As usual Ms. Kim picked up.

"_Hello?_" she asked in her gruff voice.

"Hello Ms. Kim."

"_Who is this?"_

"Rory Gilmore."

"_Oh Rory, it's after nine."_

"I know, it's important, I really need to talk to her just this once."

"_Alright, just this once."_

"Thank you." Rory heard Ms. Kim call Lane. _"Lane! Phone!"_ Rory could hear Lane come down the stair, and she knew Lane had a look of disbelief on her face.

"_Mama, it's past nine."_

"_I know, it's Rory, it's okay."_

"_Really?"_

"_Don't get used to it."_

"_Alright, thank you mama."_

"_Here you have five minutes, I'm timing."_ Ms. Kim handed her the phone. "_Ok_."

"_Hello?"_ Lane asked.

"Hey."

"_What's up?"_

"Nothing, just tutoring Jess."

"_Jess?"_

"Don't ask, details tomorrow."

"_Alright."_

"Anyways, you guys have a paper due Monday right?"

"_Right_." She clarified.

"And Jess hasn't gotten started yet-"

"_Doesn't surprise me."_

"Lane." Rory warned.

"_Sorry, go on."_

"And he has no idea what it's about."

"_How could he, he is always reading or he's not even there, it's a miracle he knows we have a paper due Monday."_

"Lane."

"_Sorry."_ Rory heard Lane's mother call. "_Hurry Rory, only 30 seconds left."_

"I just want to know what the paper is about."

"_Oh, um…_ "

"Hurry Lane. Please."

"_Sorry_."

"Stop saying that."

"_Um, Oh! Black History."_

"Black History, are you serious?"

"_As a heart attack, ok well I have to go, mama is giving me death glares. Bye_."

"Bye and thanks." And with that the two teenagers hung up. Rory looked at Jess.

"What wad with all the yelling?"

"Nevermind that."

"Ok. So what was the paper about?" he asked.

"Black History." She said. He smirked. "I can't believe you!"

"What?" Jess asked innocently.

"You knew."

"Knew what?"

"You knew that the paper was about Black History." She said accusingly.

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did, why would you have smirked." He didn't reply. Instead his smirk just grew. "God, I can't believe I fell for it."

"Don't worry, I still like you." He joked around, knowing he was annoying her.

"Whatever, let's just finish this stupid paper."

"Do we have to, I mean I have all weekend, and today is only Friday."

"No, we are going to finish this paper. Weather it takes us all night or not."

"You are going to make such a good teacher."

"Shut up!"

"Ok."

An hour and a half later, the paper was done. It was ten pages long. All that was left to do was to type it, which is something Jess swore he would do. but everyone knew he wouldn't.

"Ok, now that we have just worked on this stupid paper for and hour and a half, you wanna watch a movie?"

"Jess, it's ten thirty."

"On a Friday."

"I have to go home."

"Common, I just rented 'Almost Famous'."

"I've already seen it, and I hate it."

"So?"

"Jess, I have a lot of homework."

"Are you telling me you are going to finish all your homework tonight?"

"I always do my homework on Friday so I have Saturday and Sunday free."

"Common Rory live a little."

She sighed, and looked at him. Blue met brown. Gorgeous brown eyes. She sighed again. How could anyone say no. "Fine. I guess I can do my homework tomorrow."

"Good to hear." He smiled and went upstairs. She called after him;

"Jess I have to call my mom, and tell her I'm going to be late!"

"Alright, hurry!" he called back.

"Alright!" Rory made her way to the telephone in the diner and called her mother.

"_Hello?"_ Lorelai asked.

"Mom."

"_Rory? Why aren't you home yet? Mommy wants her Offspring."_

_Should I lie? I'll tell her the truth tomorrow. I don't want to worry her. _Rory thought. "Um, Jess and I have a lot more studying to do, I'll be home by 12:00."

"_12:00? As in midnight_?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes mom."

"_Ok babe._" Lorelai yawned. "_Ok Hun, mommy's tired, try not to make to much nose when you come in."_

"Ok mom, goodnight."

"'_Night sweets_." Then they hung up. Rory went up to the diner door and locked it then turned off the lights and made her way upstairs. The apartment door was open and Rory went in.

"Jess?" Rory called him. She walked into the kitchen. "Jess?" she called him again. Little did she know that he was going to sneak up behind her. He went up behind her and put his hands on her wait and whispered lightly;

"Yes?" Rory jumped and turned around finding his smirking.

"I hate you, have I ever told you that?" She asked and slapped him playfully. He didn't reply, he just made his way into the small room they call a kitchen.

"Hungry?"

"I'm a Gilmore, I'm always hungry."

"Right, why did I ask?" he asked himself.

"You were just being nice." She smiled.

"So, what do you want?"

"Popcorn, marshmallows, chips, chocolate, red vines, gum drops, pizza-"

"How about I tell you what we actually have." She just shrugged. "Ok, Frosted Flakes, Ketchup Chips, popcorn and raisins. So what'll it be?"

"Um, everything except raisins." She said.

"And to drink?"

"Coffee! Duh!"

"Nope, no coffee."

"What! Why not?"

"It's 10:30, you're not going to have coffee at this time."

"Fine, what else do you have?" she asked.

"Soda, beer, juice."

"First of all cross out beer, and I'll take a Soda."

"Ok."

After they had all the necessary stuff, they made their way to the sofa. Jess put tape in the VCR and they started the movie. Every once in a while eating and talking... By the end of the movie Rory and Jess were both sleeping. Rory on top of Jess. There was a blanket on top of them both, covering them all the way up to their necks.

A few minutes after the movie ended, Luke entered the apartment, he had told Jess he went apartment hunting, when he had actually gone fishing.

When he entered the apartment he couldn't believe his eyes, Rory and Jess were both asleep on the couch. There was a blanket covering their bodies, and he could only assume something happened. He thought that Rory and Jess had done _it._

Immediately he went and grabbed the cordless phone and left the apartment. He sat down on the steps and dialed Lorelai's number.

"Hello?" Lorelai answered groggily. She was asleep and the ringing phone woke her.

"Rory and Jess, sleeping, blanket, sofa." He said, not believing his eyes.

"Luke, are you okay? Speak in full sentences please." Lorelai asked, now wide awake. She was hoping Luke didn't say what she thought he said.

"Rory and Jess, they are sleeping on the sofa, Rory is on top of Jess, and there is a blanket covering them." He said, not believing it.

"What?" Lorelai yelled.

"Lorelai, should I wake Rory?"

"No. I'm coming. Leave her."

"What about Jess?"

"I'm coming, don't do anything."

"Alright, hurry though."

"Bye Luke."

"Bye."

**A/N: Ok this is chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it; I can say I really enjoyed writing it. It took me a while, but I got it done. But I really want to know if you liked it and if I should go on. So please review. I really like to hear what you have to say. Good or Bad comments are always accepted.**

**-Chrissy**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Omg! Thank you all so much for the reviews, I got around thirty, I was so happy. Well this is for all of you who reviewed, and again thank you. I hope I don't let you down with this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I donot own anything related to Gilmore Girls, not even the DVD'**s. **

**Note: **The italics around the middle are quotes/parts from the show, incase you guys don't get it.

**Chapter 2**

Immediately he went and grabbed the cordless phone and left the apartment. He sat down on the steps and dialed Lorelai's number.

"Hello?" Lorelai answered groggily. She was asleep and the ringing phone woke her.

"Rory and Jess, sleeping, blanket, sofa." He said, not believing his eyes.

"Luke, are you okay? Speak in full sentences please." Lorelai asked, now wide awake. She was hoping Luke didn't say what she thought he said.

"Rory and Jess, they are sleeping on the sofa, Rory is on top of Jess, and there is a blanket covering them." He said, not believing it.

"What?" Lorelai yelled.

"Lorelai, should I wake Rory?"

"No. I'm coming. Leave her."

"What about Jess?"

"I'm coming, don't do anything."

"Alright, hurry though."

"Bye Luke."

"Bye."

Lorelai immediately put on some flip flops and a sweater and left the house. Not even caring about locking the door. It was Stars Hollow after all.

Lorelai banged on the diner door. Luke ran down the stairs and opened it immediately. He had an unknown expression on his face, and Lorelai had an expression of anger. She looked like she was going to kill somebody.

"Where is he?" she yelled.

"Lorelai, please lower your voice, they are both asleep, you can't be mad only at him." Luke said calmly.

"Luke, my baby is up there!"

"I know."

"Ugh! I'm going up." she stormed off. Luke caught up to her before she went up the first step and pulled her away back into the diner. "Let go of me, I have to give that kid a piece of my mind."

"Lorelai, you have to be quiet, or I won't let you go up."

"Luke, how the hell do you expect me to be quiet when Rory is up there sleeping with…with…" she could barely say his name; at this point hatred took over he body.

"Jess." He helped her out.

"Yeah, that little punk."

"Lorelai, please."

"Fine, I will be quiet."

"And calm?" He warned more then asked.

"And calm." She agreed.

"Ok then, let's go up."

"Alright."

They went up and Lorelai could barely believe her eyes, she felt exactly the way Luke did when he had seen them maybe even worse…if possible. She swallowed, her baby, her offspring, her Rory was there asleep with the town hoodlum when she had a perfect boyfriend. Who she had just cheated on, when he had gone away to Chicago.

She was getting ready to shriek. But Luke realized and immediately put his hand over her mouth and dragged her out of the apartment. She had tears forming in her eyes. She was going to cry, she was hurt.

When she got back down, she sat at a table and put her head in her hands and started crying. Her body was shaking.

"Lorelai, it will be alright." Luke tried comforting her. He put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up. She didn't look sad and disappointed any longer, she had rage and anger in her eyes once again.

"Luke! It won't be ok! This is all your fault!" She yelled, she didn't care of Rory awoke at that moment.

"This is my fault?" he asked in disbelief.

"_Yes, it is your fault! You told him to come, you let him stay. Everybody hated him, everybody knew he was trouble but you wouldn't listen and you wouldn't send him home_ and now my daughter is in bed with him!" she yelled really loudly.

Upstairs Rory woke up, she could hear yelling going on in the background, and it was coming from downstairs.

"_You kept pushing them together. You asked her to help him study; you knew she'd never say no. I told you it made me nervous, I told you I didn't like it and I should've stopped it right there. But you thought Rory would be good for Jess; never mind what he'd be for her. That wasn't important at all, was it?" _

"_Of course it was important." He tried staying calm. _

"_Why didn't you put a stop to it at the first sign of trouble? Why didn't you make him leave?" she yelled. _

"_He's my nephew. I had an obligation to take him in; I had an obligation to care for him!" _

"_You had an obligation to this town and to me and to Rory. _And now look where HE got us_!" _

"_Hey, I am sorry about Rory. You know I care more about her than I do myself, but at least you know that she is alright. _You should be happy nothing worse happened! Ok_!"_

Rory's eyes widened when she found Jess and herself asleep on the couch. She jumped off and took the blanket off of them both. She taped Jess on the shoulder. He just groaned. Then Rory taped him again, and he groaned once again. This time Rory shook him, until he awoke.

"What?" He asked getting up.

"We fell asleep. On the couch." She explained. "And now, Mom is yelling at Luke."

"Huh." He answered; it didn't really bother him anyways.

She gave him a deadly stare. "Jess, this is huge, I was sleeping with you, when I already had a freaking boyfriend, ugh! I am in big trouble now! Oh my God, Dean is going to hate me and break up with me and-"

"Rory relax, it'll be alright. We didn't sleep together, we just fell asleep _next_ to each other." He said slowly so that Rory would understand.

"I have to go." He didn't say anything else, he just watched her walk out of the apartment and then go downstairs

Rory walked down the stairs, slowly and quietly. She looked from the curtain and saw her mother seated on a chair. She wasn't yelling anymore, but both her and Luke had weird expressions on.

Rory walked out, no one noticed her presence; they were to caught up in their thoughts to notice. Rory walked up to her mother and taped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Mom?" Rory said quietly.

Lorelai looked up at her, she looked at her daughter. Her clothes were kind of wrinkled; Rory might have been asleep in her clothes. But then again, they could of wrinkled if _he _had thrown them off of her. Her nose wrinkled at the thought or that.

As soon as Lorelai saw Rory, she quickly walked out of the diner. She couldn't even look at Rory. Rory looked at Luke, she gave him an apoligical smile, and then she also walked out of the diner.

"Mom!" Rory shouted as her mother kept walking away from her. "Mom! Stop please! I'm sorry, but listen nothing happened! Mom!"

"Rory, ugh!" They soon arrived at they're house.

"Mom!" Rory yelled again.

"What?" Lorelai yelled also very angry. "What Rory? What could you possibly say to me after what just happened! Oh I know, 'hey mom, guess what? I just had sex with a guy who is NOT my boyfriend, who happens to be the town's hoodlum, Jess Mariano himself'" Lorelai shouted.

"Mom, please you gotta understand, nothing happened."

"Don't lie to me Rory. I saw you guys. I saw you guys on the couch." Lorelai said as she went inside the house. Rory followed.

Babette was on the porch hiding in the dark. She had woken up and ran immediately down the stairs; after she heard yelling she wouldn't let an opportunity to listen to gossip go to waste. As she overheard what Lorelai said, she ran inside, dialed Miss Patty's number.

"Patty doll…I know it is early, but you will never guess what I just overheard…" Babette told Patty everything.

Inside the Gilmore house, Lorelai was still yelling. She was afraid that maybe Rory had made the same mistake she had made 17 years ago.

"Mom, please can we just please sit down and let me explain." Rory said, wishing her mother would just calm down.

"Explain what? The details. Well sorry Rory, I kind of don't want to hear the details about your sex life!" Lorelai said frustrated. At this point all of the anger about her mothers stubbornness came out.

"NOTHING HAPPENED! We were just watching a movie then fell asleep! Nothing happened for God sakes!" Rory yelled about to cry.

Lorelai calmed down for a bit, she knew Rory wouldn't lie to her about something like this. "Really? Are you sure nothing happened?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes mom, for the tenth time. Nothing happened. I swear. I wouldn't lie to you. You are my best friend, and if anything happened I would tell you. I promise."

"Ok, I believe you." Lorelai said relieved. She walked up to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her. She held on to her for a really long time. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you babe, I was just so worried you let your life slip away."

"What do you mean? Even if I did have sex with him, which I didn't, my life would not slip away. We would have been careful.Plus, it wouldn't happen after I would have just tutored someone, it would have to be in the moment, and I would have to know for sure that I loved this person."

"Well accidents happen, Hun, look at me for an example, although my mistake was the best one in the world. So I might not be the best example." Both Gilmore's smiled.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower now and wash all the yucky gross bad stuff that just happened today and go to bed." Rory said.

"Hon, it's 2:30 am. Why don't you just take one tomorrow. Just go to bed."

"Alright, I guess I could do that, goodnight."

"'Night babe."

"And mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm Sorry." Rory said then walked into her bedroom. Lorelai just sat down on the couch and thought about what Rory had said to her a minute ago_. Even if I did have sex with him, which I didn't, my life would not slip away. We would have been careful. Plus, it wouldn't happen after I would have just tutored someone, it would have to be in the moment, and I would have to know for sure that I loved this person. _Rory had it all planned out. She knew how she wanted it to happen, the only question left was, was it Jess…or Dean? Lorelai sighed. A few minutes later she was asleep only awaiting the events that were to come tomorrow.

----

Meanwhile in the apartment above the diner, Jess was reading a book, by Hemmingway of course. He wasn't really paying attention to what he was reading though. He couldn't help but think about how calm he was about the situation. He didn't even react to it. He acted as if nothing happened, and he could tell he got Rory upset at him. He didn't have time to think up another word, cause Luke came into the apartment, his face not at all seeming pleased.

"How could you?" Luke yelled, his cheeks turning bright red. Jess stayed silent. "You were supposed to study with Rory, not seduce her!" Luke yelled.

"I didn't seduce her _uncle_ Luke!" Jess replied sarcastically, yelling in the process. "We were watching 'Almost Famous', that's a movie if you didn't know. And then we fell asleep on the couch! Why is that so hard to believe?" Jess yelled.

"What?" Luke asked calming down.

"You heard me." Jess replied, coldly.

"Nothing happened? Nothing at all. Nothing that would be considered cheating on her boyfriend?" Luke asked making sure.

"No Luke, there was no kissing, let alone any sex. Understand?" Jess said his tone indifferent.

Luke sighed, he couldn't believe what he was just about to say, especially to him. "I'm sorry Jess." Jess didn't reply instead he rolled his eyes and looked away. "I should of asked first. But it looked really…" he trailed off.

"Whatever Luke, I'm going to bed. I have work tomorrow."

"Alright." Luke said and walked into his room. He got changed then went to bed. This had been a very eventful day.

----

The next morning Rory awoke feeling nervous. She didn't know why but there was a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. She sighed and got up to take a shower, memories of earlier that morning flooded her head. All she wanted to do was forget about them, but they would haunt her until she had told Dean.

Dean…Rory thought about how he would feel. He was never going to talk to her again. Dean was going to be hurt and heart broken. She knew he loved her, and she knew she loved him. But despite all the love he had for her, he was surely going to brake up with her. He was probably going to find a girl better then her and marry her and have kids and live in a mansion and… she was getting ahead of herself. She didn't want to let Dean go. Well maybe not yet.

She knew what she had to do. Even though she was going to have feelings of regret and guiltiness. Rory had to do it. If she didn't then it would be goodbye Dean for the rest of her life. No more watching his softball games, no more kissing in front of the cornstarch in Doose's, no more anything…no more Dean. The only and best solution would be: to not tell Dean.

She sighed as she got out of the showers a while later. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked pale and afraid. Like someone had just died in front of her. She was going to cry. At least that's the way she felt. Nothing was going to make this situation better. Time was going to have to go by, and she was going to have to forget about it. I mean, besides the rotten way she feels, nothing else could go wrong…right?

Lorelai and Rory had both agreed to meet at Luke's, cause Lorelai was already gone by the time Rory had awoken. As Rory entered, the bell above the door rang for a bit, but no one seemed to care about her presence in the room, not even Luke. She sighed once more and made her way to the counter where her mother was seated.

Lorelai felt a soft kiss on her cheek, she looked to the side and saw her daughter sit beside her with a small, sad smile present on her face.

"Good morning sunshine." Lorelai said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Hey mom." Rory said quietly, evidently something was wrong.

"Sleep well baby?" She asked, a worried look replaced her smile.

"Yeah, but I woke up feeling rotten." Rory looked down at the counter.

"Well, with Kirk sitting right behind us, I don't think it would be a good time to elaborate, but how about a movie night, and some details, huh sweets?"

Rory smiled, a real smile for probably the first time that day. Her mother always made things better. "Yeah, sounds good."

"Well, now that I have made you smile, we can call Luke for that coffee. I think he is trying to hide from you purposely and take away your elixir of life, cause we both know how much he hates it when you drink-" she said loud enough for Luke to hear. He came out of the kitchen immediately when he heard Lorelai's loud voice echo through the diner.

"All right, be quiet, I understand. Here." He pulled out a mug and filled it up to the brim. Rory smiled a bit then took her mug and took a big sip. Luke just rolled his eyes and started to walk away.

"Oh no you don't! Luke, I want a refill, get over here!" Lorelai yelled holding up her mug. He sighed and refilled her mug, and attempted to leave again, but Lorelai strikes again. "Lukey, could I have a doughnut please?" she yelled once more. He groaned, then got her a chocolate doughnut and put it in front of her.

"Anything else your majesty?" He asked, obviously annoyed.

"Um, Rory honey, do you want anything else, this kind gentlemen said he would fetch anything for us." Rory smiled.

"Yeah, chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and sausages. Please." He wrote down her order, and then looked at Lorelai.

"I'll have the same, minus the sausages, replace them with scrambled eggs. Thank you."

"Alright, coming right up." He fake smiled at them then walked away. The two Gilmore's giggled.

Rory stopped first when she saw Jess come out from behind the curtain looking exhausted. She shook her head then looked away. She wasn't upset with him; she just decided it would be best not to talk to him for a while. 'Yeah, good luck with that.' She thought.

When Jess saw Rory, he came to a halt. He looked at her, but he noticed that she was looking away. She had obviously seen him cause she was looking everywhere but at him. He sighed, maybe if he talked to her she would lighten up a bit, it was after all in the middle of the night when it happened, he had the right not to be to happy and not to care…right?

He walked up to her, she didn't notice and he tapped her lightly on her back.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Hi." She looked at him for a fraction of a second then looked away immediately.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"What is there to say Jess?" she asked harshly.

"Not here though outside, on the bridge." He said, hoping she would agree.

"Why?" she knew that she would end up going with him, but she was going to give him a hard time first. Plus maybe she could talk her way out of going. It was her plan not to talk to him, wasn't it?

"Rory." he sighed.

"No. I'm not going, I'm sorry." She said coldly. One would think they had switched bodies, actually, probably more along the lines of personalities.

"Why not?" He asked, now getting upset and annoyed.

"Because." She probably wasn't going to end up going with him. She smiled a bit; maybe she had won this time.

"Leave her alone Jess." Lorelai said not looking at Jess, just looking straight ahead at the coffee machine. "You can talk some other time, right now just isn't a good time."

He sighed, and walked away. He didn't look back; he grabbed his coat and walked out. Rory knew he was headed to the bridge and she was kind of unhappy to see that the pocket where he usually had a book placed inside was not holding a book today, but a cigarette box.

"Thank you mom." She gave her mother another smile, trying to forget about the cigarettes.

"No problem babe."

Luke came out a few moments later holding their orders. He put them down, and then refilled Lorelai's cup, Rory's was still almost full so he left it. Then he looked around the diner, Jess was nowhere to be seen, and he could have sworn he saw him come out a few minutes ago.

"You guys didn't happen to see Jess did you?" Luke asked the Gilmore's.

"Yeah, you just missed him, he left somewhere." Lorelai replied.

"Oh, any idea where Rory?"

"Um, yeah… maybe the bridge, it's his favorite place." Rory said coolly.

"Alright. Well the diner is kind of packed now, and I can't just leave Caesar, so it would be great if you could go and get him." He said, although it sounded more like a question.

"Luke, I'm not to sure it's a good idea, I mean remember yesterday's event?" Lorelai said worried.

"Oh, your right. I'll go, but that means both you and Rory will have to spend your Saturday morning here, helping Caesar instead of going to work or to the book store."

"Mom, they just got a new selection in today, and it might be packed, and I really want to get a good look at them before everyone comes and picks the best." Rory said, although going to get Jess was the last thing she wanted to do, going to the bookstore was a must.

"Honey, I could just stay here alone, we have done it before. Remember?" Lorelai said, trying to get her daughter out of this.

"Lorelai, look at the diner, it is full." Luke pointed out, "I couldn't run this with Caesar."

She sighed. "Don't be to long alright Rory?" Lorelai said.

"I know mom, 10 minutes max." Rory promised, and then left the diner.

When she got outside, she could hear people whispering and pointing at her. She didn't know why though. When she had come to the diner no one seemed to notice her, but now, it was the exact opposite.

She started running to the bridge. She hated it when she was the center of attention but the running seemed to attract it more then ignore it. She sighed then stopped running, mostly because she was tired though. Luckily for her, the bridge was only a few steps away.

She saw him, and walked slowly on the bridge. When he looked up at her they locked eyes although Rory was at least two meters away from him. She continued walking until she was about a foot away, then she sat down.

They stayed silent for a while. Rory felt the uncomfortable vibe so she decided to break the silence.

"Um, I never knew you smoked." She said, pointing to the cigarette box in his back pocket. **(A/N: I'm not sure if Rory knew, I don't remember that well, but if she did, for now let's just pretend she didn't.) **

"Well I do." He replied harshly. "What are you doing here, have you decided to come and talk?"

She scoffed. "Please. I just came because Luke needed your help in the diner, and he sent me to come and get you."

"Oh." He said coolly, but you could almost hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"You didn't happen to say anything did you?" Rory asked, worried.

"About…yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"No?"

"No. Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because, when I exited the diner, everyone started pointing at me and whispering." She said, almost seeming like she was going to cry.

"No, I didn't say anything." He promised.

"Someone did. And only you, mom, Luke and I knew." She breathed in deeply then let it go.

"Luke didn't say, he is very personal, and I didn't say, and obviously you didn't say that only leaves-"

She finished his sentence. "Mom." He nodded. "Jess, she wouldn't. She couldn't." She would not let herself believe her mother had said anything.

"Who else could it of been Rory?" He asked standing up.

"I don't know. But mom would never do anything like that to me."

"Maybe it wasn't you she was trying to hurt…but maybe-" Rory cut him off.

"Jess, mom would not do that to you despite how angry she was, she is to nice to do that." Rory defended.

"I don't know." Rory stood up, growing angry.

"No! Mom would never!" She yelled.

"Fine! I'm sorry I doubted her, geez." He said.

"Accepted!" She yelled at him.

"What?" He asked, no longer yelling.

"Your apology is accepted." She replied calmly.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Well I better get going, I told my mom I would only be ten minutes." She said as she turned around to leave.

"What about Dean?" He called after her. "Are you still going to tell him?"

That got her attention and she turned around and looked at him. "That is my problem Jess, something I would prefer not to tell you about."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Alright then."

"Luke is waiting for you, you should probably go."

"Yeah, your right."

"Yeah."

"Bye."

"Bye." Rory said then turned around and left.

She got home quickly and picked up the telephone.

"Hello offspring. Where are you?" Lorelai's voice sounded through the phone.

"Um, I came home. I just wanted you to know. Well I better get going, I have homework to do." Rory said, sort of upset at her mother, even though she had defended her at the bridge, she couldn't help but feel like her mother was to blame.

"Alright hun, come by later if you want, I'll be here all day."

"Alright bye." Rory said, but before her mother could reply she hung up. She sighed then went to do her homework.

Three hours later Rory had done all of her homework. She checked her watch, it read: 6:37. Rory sighed; Dean would be home in a few hours. She had to rethink the whole telling him thing. If the whole town knew, he was going to know sooner or later.

But then again, the town gossip changes from day to day, so there is a chance that he will not even know…right? And what made her so sure that they were even talking about her, maybe there was something behind her that go everyone's attention, or maybe there was something in her hair, or her clothes. What was she worried about, almost nobody knew anyways.

After a long while of pondering Rory came to the conclusion of not telling him, like her previous conclusion. It would be for the best anyways, so it wouldn't count as lying or hiding something. At least she hoped it didn't.

Rory left the house an hour and a half later. Dean was going to be home in less then twenty minutes and she wanted to meet him at his home.

Time went by slowly, Rory couldn't help but feel nervous, despite her decision. Finally twenty minutes passed, and Rory saw a car pull un into the driveway afterwards. She got up and smiled a little, at Clara, who was running up to her.

"Rory!" Clara yelled and hugged her.

"Hey, how was Chicago?" She asked her and hugged her back.

"Good it was…nice." She looked up at her and smiled, and then suddenly Clara felt a hand cover her eyes. "Eww, Dean, are you and Rory ganna kiss?" She asked disgusted.

He ignored the question. "Hey." He said, and then kissed Rory, although she didn't kiss him back. Dean was confused as to why she didn't, but maybe it would be best just to let it slide.

"Hey." She smiled uncomfortably at him, but it remained unnoticed. "Um, Dean…" She directed her eyes at Clara who was still hugging her. "Could you…" She trailed off.

"Oh sure. Clara, go inside and help mom and dad unpack." He ordered.

"But, I want to spend some time with Rory" Clara wined. "I bet she wouldn't do that to me if she was my sister." She sighed then walked into the house, sort of upset.

"Don't mind her, she's just cranky…she didn't sleep well at grandma's." Dean said.

"No, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, so how have you been while I was gone?"

"I've been good…um hey, you want to go for a walk."

"Oh, sure, that'd be nice." He said and took her hand. She didn't take her hand away, but she did tense up a bit, something felt wrong about it.

As they walked past Luke's, Rory had the sudden urge for coffee, (doesn't she always…) "Dean, um, it's getting sort of late, maybe it would be better if we saw each other tomorrow, you know it being late and all."

He looked at his watch, "Rory, it's 8:15." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm kind of," She fake yawned, "tired…I had a um…eventful day yesterday and I didn't get much sleep." She said.

"Oh."

"I'm really sorry, you know how much I love spending time with you…tomorrow I promise."

"Yeah, tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

"Night." He said and kissed her on the cheek.

She sighed, what happened to her, she would never do that to Dean. Something… someone changed her. How was she going to cure this? Was there even a cure? Well if there was, she needed to know it, and really soon.

She sighed, (it seemed like she had doing that a lot lately) and went home, maybe, a little sleep would help, or maybe not… but at this point she didn't care. It was the only thing that popped into her mind, so she followed it, forgetting the coffee she was craving a couple minutes ago.

In the diner, Jess looked up as the door at the bell above the door rang. He didn't hold his gaze, not caring that it was Lorelai who had just entered. Lorelai on the other hand was…well, there is no word to say, but we could say he was just the person she needed to talk to at the moment. She made her way to the counter and sat in the stool right in front of him.

"Coffee me punk." She ordered.

"Whatever you say ma'am." He returned sarcastically. When he turned around to grab the coffee pot, he realized that one was decaf, so he grabbed that, a smirk now playing on his lips. "Here you go, enjoy." His smirk grew.

"What is your problem?" She asked while gulping down half the mug of coffee, only to spit it right out, in Jess' face. "What did you do to this coffee?" she exclaimed.

"Your sick, geez!" Jess grew angry as he wiped the coffee off of his face with a clean cloth.

"Hey, it's your fault, you gave me this crap." She replied. "What did you do to it anyways?"

"It's decaf. I did nothing to it, ever think that maybe I grabbed the wrong pot?"

"Well, if you were one of those nice, polite diner boys then I may of considered it, but since you are the town hoodlum who happened to make me upset yesterday night after what happened I saved myself the time." This time she smirked.

"Nothing happened. Must I tell everyone?" Jess said evidently annoyed.

"Yeah, but it was your fault, you made both Luke and I think something happened." She said, only loud enough for him to hear.

"Whatever Lorelai, you were not there until the ending, so if I were you I would stop judging now."

She scoffed then rolled her eyes at him. "You know, ever since you got here all you've done is cause trouble, why don't you just go back to New York and leave this town alone, you obviously don't belong here." She advised.

"Whatever."

"No Jess, ever since you got here all you have done is screw everything up, and no one in this town has been at peace, and Taylor has been even more screwed up then before. And Kirk is so afraid of you he stays about ten feet away every time." Lorelai said looking at Kirk who happened to be sitting behind her, not seeming to care at all. "Isn't that right Kirk?"

"What?"

"How far away from Jess are you at all times?"

"Exactly 10.2 feet away." He replied, a look of horror appearing on his face when Jess gave his an evil look. "Well, I better get going, tell Luke I'll pay him tomorrow. Bye." He said and ran out the diner, faster then you could say 'Paperclip'.

"Oh, and Luke, how could I forget him. First of all you treat him like dirt, secondly you always get in trouble and Luke has to pick up after you and thirdly he is always defending you, including at that stupid town meeting, about how you drew that stupid dead body chalk outline on the sidewalk. So I repeat, Leave this town and go back to New York, you don't belong here." She said all in one breath.

Jess' face didn't change he still had that careless look on his face, but instead of just ignoring it he agreed. "You know what, you are right, I do not belong here. I should leave, I was better off in New York. I'm upstairs packing, tell Luke that if he comes back from Doose's before you leave." He said then stormed off upstairs.

"Well, that was better then I expected." Lorelai mumbled then went behind the counter and grabbed a new mug and filled it with real coffee.

**A/N: **Alright everyone, that was chapter two. It is a little shorter then chapter one, but it was all I could come up with for this time. I will try to make the next one longer, but no promises. Oh, by the way, in the real **"Teach me tonight" **Rory had school the nest day, and there was the whole movie festival thing with Kirk's movie and all, but again, in this story let's just pretend it didn't happen, I'm sorry to all of you who liked those parts, and I hope me not adding them into the story will discourage you from reading it. Well this author's note is getting long and I assume no one is reading so, please R&R. Constructive criticism is always allowed. (Oh please don't mind my grammar mistakes also.) Thank you

**-Chrissy**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews. I really appreciate them. Oh italics are parts from the show. All right on with the story. : D

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own anything…(sniff)… not even Milo.

**Chapter 3**

Lorelai went back home after drinking 5 cups of real coffee. She didn't get a chance to tell Luke, partly because she was to busy avoiding the subject. She was proud of what she had said to Jess, but at the same time guilt took her over. It felt like one weight had been lifted, but another one, two time's it's size, replaced it.

He deserved what she told him…well that's what Lorelai thought. Even if Rory had told her nothing happened she couldn't help but believe something did. Lorelai knew that ever since Jess moved into town he was going to be trouble, and he proved that to her on many occasions.

She walked into the house and looked around for Rory, she wasn't in the living room, so Lorelai headed for Rory's bedroom. She knocked on the door, but she didn't get an answer so she walked in.

She smiled a little, to see Rory asleep on her bed with her clothes still on and an open book in her hands. She walked up to her and pulled the book away, then she gently tugged on the blanket under Rory, and took it out, then placed it gently on Rory. She turned of the lights the small smile still remaining and left her bedroom closing the door on her way out.

Rory stirred when she heard her bedroom door close. She sat up and realized that she was still in her clothes and that her book "We the living" was no longer in her possession. She looked around trying to find it, then her eyes stopped on her dresser and she sighed from relief, she was really enjoying it and she didn't want to loose it when she was only a few chapters away from the ending.

She got up and changed into her pajamas and then went to bed. A few minutes later she was asleep. Lorelai on the other hand was wide-awake starring at her ceiling. Rory was going to be so mad at her when she found out and nothing she could say was going to change that.

The next morning Lorelai got up, extremely tired. She only had four hours of sleep, thinking about Jess, Rory and Luke. She headed into the kitchen and found Rory fully dressed and sitting at the table with a heated pop tart in her hand.

"Good morning Hun." Lorelai said tiredly. She looked at the coffee machine and gasped. "Where's all the coffee?" She asked over dramatically.

"I got up and saw that we were out." Rory said harshly and took a big bite out of her pop tart.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked worried and curious to know how much she knew.

"Did you say anything?" She asked her voice indifferent.

"About what?"

"Don't play dumb mom."

"No, really, I don't know."

"Uh-huh."

"Rory what is wrong with you, you wake up acting like an old geyser, tell me what your talking about." Lorelai said snatching the pop tart out of Rory's hands and finishing it.

"About what happened between me and Jess."

"Yeah…" Lorelai motioned for her to go on.

"Did you say anything?" Rory asked tired of her mother's stalling.

"No." Rory gave her a disbelieving look. "No, I swear, why would you think that?"

"Everyone yesterday…they were pointing and whispering at me."

"What?"

"And I tried convincing myself it was just something in my hair or something, but I don't know anymore." Rory said as tears spilled down her face.

"Hun, I didn't say anything, I promise…I promise on…" What'll make her think I didn't say anything…hmm…Oh I got it. Lorelai thought. "I promise on Luke's coffee that I didn't say anything to anyone, let alone the whole town."

Rory wiped the tears away. "Well, knowing how much you love Luke's coffee, I have to believe you."

"I'm sure it was just something in your hair babe." Lorelai smiled a bit then hugged her.

"Ok," Rory said pulling away from the hug. "Let's go to Luke's I want some coffee." Rory said getting up.

"No!" Lorelai yelled, if Rory didn't see Jess she was sure to ask why.

"What? Why?" Rory asked, it wasn't normal for her mother to pass up a cup of coffee, not even if she and Luke had gotten into a fight.

"Because…I…err…I don't feel good." She did a few fake coughs. "I think I caught a cold and I need you to stay with me."

"Funny mom, very funny." Rory said as she shook her head and attempted to leave but Lorelai stopped her.

"No, Hun, please…um…really I-"

"Mom, what happened?" Lorelai didn't reply. "What happened between you and Luke…tell me or I'm leaving."

"Me and Luke got into a fight." Lorelai lied. "I went behind the counter and stole all of his coffee and he yelled at me, and I told him I was only kidding, but he got mad and kicked me out and I may of called him a jerk." Lorelai lied in one breath.

"That's what happened?" Lorelai nodded. "Mom, Luke is not going to stay mad over that, he is way to busy to hold a grudge over that." Rory laughed and headed for the door. Lorelai sighed and followed, nothing was going to keep Rory from finding out.

"Wait, I'm coming, I want to grab my coat." Lorelai yelled.

"Ok, I'm in the jeep, hurry." Rory yelled back.

They left to Luke's a few minutes later they were there. Lorelai stood outside the door, Rory was trying to pull her in but she was just standing there, not moving at all.

"Mom, for the last time, Luke is not going to stay mad at you over nothing." Rory sighed. "Fine, if you don't want to come in then I will go all on my own, you are not going to make me pass up my coffee just to stand here trying to convince you. I will be at the counter when…if you decide to go in." Rory said then entered the diner.

It was packed and luckily there was only one empty seat at the counter. She smiled then made her way to it. She looked around to try and find either Luke or Jess. When she saw Luke she called him over. "Luke! Coffee here please." Luke looked at her and nodded, he didn't look happy.

"Hey, here." He said then turned around to take Kirk's order. Rory looked stunned, Luke barely said two words to her and he never did that to her.

"Luke? Did I do something to offend?" Rory asked, he turned around.

"Who, me?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"So why the attitude?" Rory asked.

"Sorry, the diner is packed and Caesar called in sick today so I have no help." Luke said gruffly.

"What about Jess? Wait don't answer that he's upstairs sleeping isn't he, I'll go get him." Rory offered and stood up.

"No, you can't!" Luke yelled after her.

"What, why?" Rory asked confused.

"He isn't there, he went back to New York." Luke said sadly.

"W…what? W…why?" Rory asked, she felt heart broken and she didn't know why.

Luke's sad face immediately changed. "Why don't you ask Lorelai…I bet she can tell you everything you want to hear." He said, his gruff voice back.

"Mom?"

"The one and only."

"What…she told him to leave?"

"Go ask her, why do you think she is standing outside? And isn't in here enjoying her coffee." Luke said then turned around and went to serve a costumer.

"Oh my God." Rory whispered, and exited the diner. She saw her mother in the car, her head against the wheel. Rory got into the car and slammed the door closed, which made Lorelai look up shocked. "How could you? NOTHING HAPPENED! I told you, no promised you, that nothing happened, but you couldn't help but take it out on Jess! Mom! I was the one who agreed to watch the movie with him! I can't even talk to you anymore!" Rory yelled.

"Rory…I…" Lorelai trailed off.

"No don't even try to explain. I get it; you hate him and everything about him. Everything bad that will happen between us will always be his fault! Well if that's the way it is going to be, then you can kiss Luke's coffee goodbye." Rory said a little calmer.

"Luke's coffee?" Lorelai asked…what did that have to do with Jess?

"Yeah…Luke is so upset with you right now, and if you don't apologize or something, Luke will barely talk to you and I know how much you hate it when people are mad at you, so you wont even enter the diner afraid of his reaction to it, and I am surely not going to get coffee for you everyday."

"Honey…"

"No, I'm done talking to you today. Bye mom, I have to go meet Dean now." Rory said then got out of the car, Lorelai kept looking at her until she was out of sight. She groaned then hit her head against the steering wheel non-stop, but stopped when the horn started. She groaned again then left to work. It was going to be a really long day.

Rory didn't go to Dean's. She decided to go to the Gazebo; she didn't want to go to the bridge because of Jess. She looked down at her cell phone and realized it was vibrating. She picked it up and it was none other then Dean.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Dean."

"Oh, hey." Rory said pretending to be happy it was him.

"Sorry, I didn't call earlier, but I just got up, I was tired." Dean said.

"It's alright. So how was it?"

"How was what?"

"Your sleep."

"Oh…um…normal I guess." He replied sort of confused by the question.

"Well that's good, we want your sleep to be good…" she trailed off.

"Yeah…"

"Yup." She sighed mentally then waited for him to say something.

"Anyways…about that walk."

"Oh yeah?" She asked.

"Well, I guess we can meet…um." He was thinking about a place. Rory decided the Gazebo was as good as any place.

"Gazebo." She helped.

"Okay, the Gazebo it is. I'll see you there in a few." He said then hung up. Rory hung up as well.

10 minutes passed and Rory could see Dean heading her way, he was smiling. Rory smiled back at him and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. Rory kept looking at him, but then she realized his smile faded when Miss Patty came and stood in front of him. Rory looked confused, as Dean grew angry. She walked up to them and stopped beside Miss Patty.

"Hello dear." Miss Patty greeted.

"Yes hello Rory." Dean said angrily.

"Hey." Rory said, the confused look on her face becoming worried. "How are you both?"

"I'm fine dear, but Dean seems a bit upset." Miss Patty pointed out.

"Why?" Rory asked.

"You should know why Rory." Dean replied harshly.

"What were you both talking about?" Rory said looking at Miss Patty.

"Well, I just asked Dean how he felt about you and Jess sleeping together and before he could reply you showed up." Miss Patty said innocently.

"Where did you hear that Miss Patty? Me and Jess are not sleeping together." Rory exclaimed.

"Really dear? Babette said she overheard Lorelai yelling at you outside your house about you and Jess having…well, sleeping together."

"No, she heard wrong." Rory corrected. "Me and Jess didn't not sleep together, I swear." Rory said then looked at Dean, he was still angry, and his expression didn't change. "Dean I would never cheat on you." Rory said, crying for the second time that day.

"Yeah. Sure." Dean replied his face turning red.

"Miss Patty could Dean and I talk please?" Rory asked her eyes red.

"Of course dear, why are you asking my permission? I will just stand here and mind my own-"

"No, you seem to have misunderstood, I mean alone." Rory corrected.

"Oh, pardon me, of course, I'm leaving." Patty said then left, leaving Rory and Dean alone to talk.

"Dean, I didn't sleep with him." Rory said as she started crying again.

"Oh yeah? Prove it Rory." Dean replied.

"How?"

"Who saw you?"

"Where?"

"In the apartment, who saw you?"

"Mom…and Luke." Rory said.

"Ok, let's ask Luke."

"What? You hate Luke."

"So?"

"Not Luke."

"Why not?"

"He's already mad at mom."

"Why?"

"Because…um…"

"Why?" He repeated.

"It doesn't matter." Rory said.

"Why wont you tell me?"

"Because it may upset you more."

"Try me."

"Fine. Mom yelled at Jess yesterday, even if nothing happened between us, she still happens to think something happened. Anyways I do not know much, but I do know that mom yelled at Jess and then she told him to leave or something and now he left back to New York." Rory said in one breath.

"Why would that make me mad?"

"Because I thought that because mom doesn't even believe me you wouldn't."

"What?"

"Forget it."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you slept with Jess." Dean asked, he looked angry, but he seemed to have cooled off a bit.

"Because I didn't sleep with Jess. We were watching a movie and we both fell asleep."

"That's it?"

"Dean, it's like the time you and I both fell asleep at Miss Patty's, remember. Everyone blamed you, but nothing happened. Exactly like me and Jess." Rory hoped he would believe it, because it was true.

He sighed. "Is he gone for good?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, he's gone for good." Rory said looking down at the ground.

"Alright then." Dean said and leaned down and kissed Rory. Rory kissed him back then pulled away.

"I'm sorry." Rory said quietly.

"Me too."

"For what?" Rory asked.

"Yelling at you."

"No, it's alright. You were allowed to get mad and yell."

"I was just afraid I was going to lose you." He said quietly.

"You weren't going to lose me, if anyone should have been afraid it should have been me." Rory said looking at the ground. He took her hand and she looked up at him smiling.

"It's over, let's just forget it and go for our walk."

"Ok, let's go." Rory said smiling up at him, but throughout the walk Rory couldn't stop thinking about Jess. It wasn't fair for him to leave like that. He didn't deserve it. Rory sighed mentally but kept a smile on her face as not to worry Dean.

They kept walking around town, not saying anything. Just enjoying each other's company, well Dean was… All Rory could think of was Jess. They were on a bench, until Rory gasped loudly.

"Oh my God!" Rory yelled and got off the bench.

"What? What is it?" Dean asked.

"I just got the perfect idea!"

"For what?"

"I can go see…um…" Rory trailed off, realizing that she was talking to Dean. "Um…ah…err…Luke. That I got a perfect idea to make Luke and mom friends again." She lied.

"Um…ok? Sure. Whatever."

"Look, Dean. This was fun, but I have to go. I'll talk to you later. Bye." She says and kisses him on the cheek, and leaves. Leaving Dean there confused.

Rory runs as fast as she could to her house, she opened the door, went to her room and started stuffing things into her backpack. Suddenly Rory's cell phone begins to ring.

"Hello?" Rory answered.

"Hey Hun?" Lorelai voice came threw the phone.

"Oh hey." Rory said harshly.

"Look, Hunny. I know you're mad at me, but I'm buying tickets right now for my graduation, which by the way is tomorrow. I bought for Sookie and Jackson. Luke…but I don't know if he'll come. My parents, I don't know why you convinced me to invite them, but anyways, are you coming?" Lorelai asked, hoping she'll say yes.

Rory pondered for a bit then said, "I wouldn't miss it mom." Lorelai smiled.

"Ok Hun. I'll see you at home." Without even saying bye, Rory just hung up. It still hurt to talk to her mom, she wasn't ready to forgive her just yet. After thinking, Rory started packing again. She was excited for what she was going to do. After she was done. She decided to go tomorrow morning. It would be better. Suddenly the phone rang, Rory groaned, and went to answer the phone.

"Hello?" Rory said bitterly.

"Hello to you too now." He says.

"Oh, hey, sorry about that, kinda in a bad mood."

"Huh, fill me in."

"Well I'm mad at my mom, obviously. You should be too you know. I mean she made you leave." Rory said sadly.

"Nah, it wasn't her fault." Jess says.

"Of course it was! She made you leave. It wasn't fair."

"Why do you care so much? You have your perfect boyfriend, you don't need to worry about another guy." Rory smiled a little.

"Well…I…we…are…I…um…so, how's New York?" Rory asked, trying to change the subject. Jess decided to let it slide and answered her question.

"It's ok I guess. Just hanging out…in the park, mostly."

"_Central Park?" Rory asked_

"_Washington Square Park." Jess answered._

"_Oh." _

"_It's cooler." _

"_Yes?" _

"_It's where David Lee Roth got busted." _

"_Right, right. I hope he's got it together now." _They were quite for a bit until Jess spoke out,

"Well I better go."

"No, no, not yet." Rory didn't know why she just said that.

"Why? What's there left to talk about?"

"I don't know. I just don't want to hang up."

"Rory, it's long distance and I'm on a pay phone."

"Oh, you wanna go?" Rory asked sadly.

"No, no, no. It's just—" Jess gets cut off by the Rory's voice.

"Jess, sorry, I have to go answer the door the bell rang."

"Who is it?"

"Oh um, I… it's…well, I would have to go and get it to tell you." Rory said and walks up to the door and opens it. "Oh hey." She says.

"Hi. Am I interrupting?" Dean asks and points to the phone.

"What? Oh, no. Just wait in the living room, I'll be a sec." She says as Dean goes and does what she told him.

"Um, I have to go." Rory says into the phone in her bedroom.

"Now you want to huh?"

"No I have company, when he leaves I'll call you."

"Where, I don't have a phone."

"Oh…"

"Look, I'll call you in 45 minutes. How does that sound?"

"Great."

"Alright then."

"Sorry."

"Who is it?"

"Huh?" She asked.

"At the door."

"Right…you wouldn't care."

"Rory…"

"It's Dean."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well then, tell bagboy I miss him down here." He says sarcastically.

"Bye Jess." She said giggling.

"Bye." With that, they hang up. She walks into the living room, and finds Dean standing with an angry expression.

"Jess? You were talking to Jess?"

"Um…he says he misses you…" Rory said nervously playing with her hands.

"Who called?" He asked suspiciously.

"Jess. I told you."

"No I mean, who called who." Dean corrected angrily.

"What does it matter?"

"Rory." He warned.

"He called me. And there is no problem with that. Dean calm down."

"Rory, last time you and him…hung out…everyone made rumors, and…"

"Dean. No one is going to make rumors over a dumb telephone call, alright?" Rory clarified.

"Alright, just know that I am worried for you, that's all." Rory couldn't help but smile, he smiled back at her.

"I know." She said quietly. He walked up to her and put his hands on her waist. He leaned down and kissed her passionately. Rory eyes widened when he started pushing further and further into the kiss. She didn't stop kissing him though, she wanted to see how far he was going to get with her, and she wanted to know if he knew her limits.

Suddenly Rory could feel Dean drag her onto the couch, never stopping the kissing. He pushed her down and seated her onto his lap. Then he pushed her down until she was lying flat out onto it. Then, when he saw she didn't pull away he put his hand under her shirt. She had had enough right there. She pushed him off of her with all her might. "Dean!" she yelled.

"Yeah?" He asked, he didn't seem to understand.

"That was way to far!" She yelled. "How…why?" Rory looked scared.

"You didn't seem to mind, you knew where it was going!" He yelled back.

"I'm not ready! And neither are you!" Rory felt tears sting to come out, she blinked a few times so they wouldn't fall.

"How do you know that?" He yelled back.

"I'm sorry, you're ready?" Rory asked calming down.

"Well I wanted you to be my first." He pointed out.

"Dean, I'm not ready." Rory said standing up. "And you were supposed to talk to me first."

"I don't remember you ever telling me that."

"I'm not supposed to. You're just supposed to know."

"Sorry." He said in a weird tone.

"Maybe you should go." She offered.

"Rory…I'm really-" she cut him off.

"Maybe you should go." She repeated.

"Rory please. Are you sure?"

"Dean you should go!" she yelled pointing to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." He said leaving without another sound except the door shutting. Rory sighed and sat down on the couch. She hadn't realized tears had fallen out until they hit her pants. She immediately wiped them and sighed.

Twenty-five minutes later the phone rang again. Rory got up slowly and answered it. "Hello?" she asked her voice sounding sad.

"Hey. Are you alright?" Jess asked into the receiver, his voice worried.

"Yeah…"

"Uh-huh?" He replied, not believing her.

"Yeah, yeah. I Am." Rory said, trying to sound happy.

"Alright whatever you say."

"He tried to make a move." Rory said tears slipping down her face once again.

"Move on what?" Jess asked.

"Move on me, and you knew that." Rory smiled a little at him wiping her tears.

"Who? Bagboy?"

"The one and only." She could hear Jess grind his teeth together.

"Are you alright?" He asked his voice sounding mad.

"Oh yeah, I stopped him." She sighed. "I stopped him." She repeated.

"Good."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, so other then that, how have you been?"

"Good pretty good." Rory smiled a little. "By the way the whole town knows about us."

"There is an us? Since when?" Rory could almost hear him smirk.

"You know what I mean Jess."

"No tell me."

"About the whole sleeping together thing."

"What whole sleeping together thing?"

"Jess!" she shrieked, he laughed. Rory loved it when he laughed.

"Sorry. Dean must have taken it well." Jess said sarcastically.

"What do you mean?"

"Does he even know?"

"Oh yeah." Rory said giggling.

"Did he take it well?"

"I think so, we went walking afterwards although I spent like a century trying to calm him down and telling him nothing happened."

"Yeah."

"So tell me what you meant."

"Well, the first thing he does after he finds out is make a move on you."

"Point?"

"Jesus Rory, don't be stupid. He doesn't believe nothing happened. Or if he does, he wants to be your first, either way he doesn't trust either one of us."

"Why would he trust you Jess?" She joked.

"Avoiding the subject are we?" Jess teased.

"I don't know, he seemed to have understood."

"I think bagboy is as dumb as he looks." Jess laughed at his sarcastic remark.

"Hey!" She giggled.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, sure you are." Rory teased.

"Your right, I'm not. Huh, how about that." Jess replied.

"Your not funny." She smiled.

"Really? Yet you seem to be smiling and laughing."

"You don't know that for sure. How would you know if I got a laughing hyena as a pet and taught him how to laugh exactly like I do?"

"Yes, cause it is very possible for you to go to Africa, adopt a hyena, come back, teach him how to laugh exactly like you and make sure it doesn't tickle you, in less then a day."

"Well…"

"By the way, hyena's don't laugh, they tickle you or something until you die then eat you. Hence the name l_aughing _hyena's."

"And you know this because?"

"I learned it somewhere, don't remember completely though."

"I see. Are you sure that's true?"

"Who knows?" He smirked.

"Yeah." She yawned.

"Your tired huh?"

"Sure am."

"Then I'll let you go. I'll call you again sometime, but not tomorrow, I seem to have spent all of my change on this payphone."

"Yeah, we talked a lot."

"We sure did."

"But it was nice…admit it."

"Yeah, it was…nice."

"Alright then, goodbye Jess."

"See ya soon." He replied

Not realizing he had already hung up, Rory smiled and whispered. "Sooner then you think." When she heard the dial tone she hung up and went to bed. She was really excited for tomorrow.

Rory awoke the next morning with a smile upon her face. She got up fast and rushed to the bathroom. And came out fully dressed. She grabbed her backpack and walked into the kitchen and found he mother at the table with a cup of coffee and papers all over the table.

"Good morning." Lorelai said not looking up from he textbook.

"Good morning." Rory replied, she wasn't as mad at her mother anymore, in fact she wasn't mad at all.

"Whoa, sudden change of heart?"

"Yeah, to tired to stay mad." Rory smiled at her.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry." Lorelai said, Rory could see she meant it.

"Yeah, I know you are."

"Good, so today is the big day huh sweets!" Lorelai looked extremely jumpy.

"Yeah, but what is up with your textbook being wide open?"

"Oh, well I sort of doodled everywhere in it and the teachers frown upon that or something so I have to erase all of and make up some lame excuse on how I didn't do all the weird happy faces in pen." Lorelai said.

"Oh…so what are you going to wear?" Rory asked curious.

Lorelai jumped out of her chair and looked at Rory terrified. "Oh shit!" Lorelai yelled and ran up the stairs. Rory followed and found her mother throwing her clothes everywhere. "Rory, what do I wear?" Lorelai freaked out. "_I'm experiencing frustration_."

"Mom chill."

"_What do you wear to a graduation?"_

"_Cap and gown."_

"Rory, I know that! And you know what I mean, no time for your lame stupid comments!"

"Sorry."

"_It's more complicated. I don't want to overdress so that I'm sweating if it's hot in the auditorium but if I don't have enough on and it's cold, then I'll freeze_."

"_It is complicated, especially if you overthink it."_

"_And now I need a helpful comment." _Lorelai gave Rory a death glare.

" Fine, um…_Take light layers. Wear your turquoise and tan dress that you just got that's cool and it'll look good without your gown on, and wear your turquoise vintagey sweater over it because it'll look great with the dress and it'll keep you warm if it's cold in the auditorium." _

"_You are a fashion genius." _Lorelai called form her closet and ran out and hugged Rory.

"_Well, you've taught me everything I know." _

"_My brain's not working today." _Lorelai shrieked.

"_You're excited, it's a big day."_

"_What time are you getting there?"_ Lorelai asked running back into her closet and grabbing all the dress and sweater.

"What time does it start?"

"Six on the dot."

"The I will be there at five forty-five."

"Great!"

"What?"

"I have another fashion emergency!"

"What?"

"My hair! Oh my God! Shoes! Ah!"

"Ok, hair stays straight, cause the cap will ruin your hair if it's curly, and wear your tan sandals. They also go perfect with the dress."

"I don't think I would be able to live without you."

"I think it's the other way around mom." Rory joked.

"Alright Hun, your ganna miss your bus, shu shu." Lorelai pushed her out of the room.

"Bye mom, good luck!" Rory yelled then left the house.

Lorelai sighed again the looked in the mirror. "What jewelry! Ugh!" Rory heard her mother shriek from outside and smiled as she walked to her bus stop.

Half an hour later Rory was at the bus station. She went up to the line up and bought a ticket. "Hi I would like a return ticket from her to New York." Rory asked.

"Alright, that will be thirty-six dollars my dear." The nice red headed women said.

"Um, alright here." Rory said nicely, the women gave her back her change and the ticket. Rory smiled. "Thank you." Rory said then got on the bus. She would be in New York in another fourty-five minutes. (**A/N:** I don't really know how long it is from SH to NYC, but I was assuming.)

Rory was in New York before she knew it, although she didn't know that the people there were so rude. Jess would look like an angel compared to them. About twenty minutes of looking around for Washington Square Park later, Rory finally made it there and ironically Jess was sitting on a bench reading. Rory headed up to him and smiled.

"Hey." She said standing behind him.

He turned around and a smile grew on his lips. "Hey." He greeted and got up.

"Hey"

"You already said that."

"Right, sorry."

"So, this is a nice surprise."

"Yeah, I decided I would come yesterday."

"Yet, you still wore your uniform."

"I didn't want mom to get suspicious."

"Yeah." He said as they started walking towards a hotdog stand.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Starved, no time for breakfast this morning."

"Well then."

"So? How do you like New York so far?"

"It's alright, the people here are really friendly." Rory said sarcastically.

"You get used to it."

"I don't think I could ever get used to it."

"Well, you wont have to."

"That's right."

"So what do you want on your hotdog?"

"Everything would be great."

Jess looked at the hotdog vendor. "Um, two hotdogs everything on them." The man handed them the hotdogs and Rory smiled at him.

"Thank you." He just rolled his eyes. She looked at Jess. "Didn't I tell you? Really nice."

"Yes you did." Jess decided to change the subject. "_How well do you know Manhattan?"_

"_I've been here a few times. We saw The Bangles here."_

"_When was that? Twenty years ago?"_

"No, i_t was a reunion and it was great."_

"_Yeah, they're okay." _

"_And a couple years ago Mom drove us in to shop, and she couldn't find a good parking place and all of the parking lots were a total rip-off, so she kept making U-turns and cutting off taxis and we were being screamed at in so many different languages that we just turned around and drove home and bought a Hummel at the curio store in Stars Hollow."_

"_How very adventurous."_

"_I'm just saying I'm no stranger to the Big Apple." _

"_You are if you're calling it the Big Apple."_ Jess pointed out.

"_So I don't have the lingo down yet_, but after this little experience, I think I at least have the attitude."

"_You do huh?" _

"Yes, next time anyone gives me those weird evil looks they give you here, _instead of ignoring them I just going to fix them with a really withering stare."_

"_That I've got to see."_

"_No."_

"_Oh come on, let me see your withering stare."_

"_It's dangerous, I could hurt you."_

"_I've been hurt before."_

"_No."_

"_I'm disappointed." _He says pouting.

"You'll get over it soon enough, plus you way witness it."

"There is a possibility. But incase I don't…"

"No."

"Fine."

"Fine." She smiled at him.

"So, what time do you have to be back?"

"To Stars Hollow?"

"No, to the moon." He said sarcastically, smirking.

"Um, well now it is around…" she checked her watch. "Um, eleven, so I have to be back by five, so I think I will probably leave four."

"Oh, so we've still got five hours."

"Yes we do." Rory agreed.

"So why four?"

"Oh, mom is graduating at six, and I promised I would be there early and the bus ride is nearly an hour long so…"

"Understandable."

"Yeah, are you afraid of going on the subway?"

"No, why would I be afraid?"

"Just asking."

"Why?"

"Because I know this amazing _record store you should check out it's run by this insane freak who's like a walking encyclopedia for every punk and garage-band record ever made. Catalog numbers… it's crazy. The place is right out of High Fidelity _and in order to get there we must take the subway."

"Alright let's go." She said as they made their way to the subway.

Inside the record store Rory is flipping threw some records then pulls one out excited.

"Oh my God! For my mom. It's the Go Go's, t_his was her favorite group when she was my age, and it's signed by Belinda. This would be the perfect graduation present."_

"Well let's get it then."

"I didn't bring any money." She said looking down.

Jess scoffs. "Give it." He said taking it and going over to pay for it.

"Jess?"

"Rory?" He mimicked.

"You don't have to, I can find her something else."

"Rory, your not going to find her something better."

Rory smiled at him and fought the urge to go and hug him right there. Soon enough hey left the record store and Jess handed Rory the bag holding the record.

"Thank you, you didn't have to really."

"Nah. It was no biggy." He looked at her and smiled. She couldn't help it anymore she immediately lunged for him. He looked a bit confused at the moment but then lightly hugged her back. "You do realize that this is totally not normal it NYC?"

Rory blushed then pulled away. "Sorry."

"I was kidding. Chill."

"Whatever."

"So what next?"

"Any good bookstores around?"

"Well…people in New York are not big fans of reading, they mostly like new technology here."

"Yes?"

"But there is one bookstore two blocks away, we could check it out if you want, but it's nothing compared to the one is Stars Hollow."

"I cannot believe you just said that." Rory exclaimed.

"Said what?"

"You just compared Stars Hollow with New York."

"It was just the bookstore."

"Still."

"Whatever. So do you want to go or not?"

"Oh yeah, I need to see this."

"Uh-huh." He replied rolling his eyes.

"Common, lead the way."

**A/N: **Alright so most of the story was parts from the show, but I can't help but love this chapter. So please review. I really appreciate them.

_-_**Chrissy**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews, I loved each and every one of them. I really loved that last chapter and I am glad to say everyone else did to. I hope that this chapter will please you, but no way is it going to compare to my last one.

Also I apologize about the little mix up with Lorelai's middle name, I changed it to Victoria instead of Veronica. My mistake. :S

**Disclaimer: **Sorry to let you all down, but think about it, would I really qualify to be ASP or whoever it is who is writing Gilmore Girls right now? I don't think so.

_**Chapter 4**_

They were walking away from the bookstore, after they had spent most of their time there. Rory was rambling about how amazing that bookstore was and how, although it wasn't better then the one in Stars Hollow, it was filled with amazing new selections.

"Ok Rory, that's enough, you've been going on about that bookstore ever since we left. Please shut up!" Jess said mockingly.

"Oh! You're a meanie!" Rory joked trying to slap him, but he caught her hand. Rory looked up and they locked eyes, then stopped walking as Jess held on to her hand. Neither she nor he would admit it, but they never wanted the moment to end. Suddenly Rory blushed and Jess noticed it, he let go and looked away. Rory looked down, as they continued walking quietly.

They walked around in circles for a while, and then Rory checked her watch. "How much longer do you still have?" Jess asked curiously breaking the very tense silence.

"I still have around another hour and a half." Rory replied, glad they were talking again.

"Great, I want to show you something, that gives us exactly enough time."

"Oh! What? Tell me."

He shook his head. "Nope, you're going to have to wait until we get there."

"No Jess, you know I hate being patient!" Rory whined.

"Now would be a good time to practice then." Jess pointed out.

"Ugh! I hate you." Rory said.

"I hate you to." Jess replied smirking.

They walked up to the bus stop, and then stopped, Rory couldn't help but question him again. "Jess, why are we here?"

"To take the bus." Jess said obviously.

"No, I mean, can't we just walk?"

"You want to walk a half hour, when we could just take a bus and be there in ten?" Jess asked disbelievingly.

"Well when you put it that way…" Rory trailed off, he just nodded in an "I-told-you-so" kind of way. The bus finally came up fifteen minutes later, and they both boarded it. The bus ride, as Jess had said, lasted ten minutes, so they were there in no time. "This is what you wanted to show me?" Rory asked Jess in disbelief when they stopped in front of an old apartment building.

"Just follow me, no complaining." Jess ordered and started heading inside.

"Jess, do you live here?" Rory asked as they got on the elevator.

"No, my old friend Robert does. He let's me crash here for the night, because I don't want to stay with Liz." He explained.

"Will I get to meet him?" Rory asked hopefully.

"Actually, no, he went to Louisiana to visit his sick mother. He won't be back for another week and a half. But he gave me the spare key, so we can get in anytime."

"That's really nice of him, he must trust you." Jess raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't he trust me?"

"Oh, um…I meant it in a good way, not that you're not trustworthy."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Alright." Was Jess' one word response.

The elevator came to a halt. The doors opened only to reveal a long hallway, with a staircase leading to another door. Jess walked out and Rory followed, she didn't know where she was going, but she decided against commenting. They walked up the short, eleven step, staircase, and stopped while Jess put the key into the keyhole to unlock the door. He pushed it open after the key clicked, and walked out, Rory followed him again. She looked around and realized that they were on the roof of the building. It was an amazing view, and Rory couldn't believe her eyes.

"Jess, this is beautiful." Rory stated turning around in a circle slowly, examining everything around her.

"It's one of my favorite places in all of New York. This apartment is almost located in the middle of the whole city, so you can see everything." Jess explained. "It's the best place to just sit and think." He added.

"Wow!" She walked closer to the edge and looked down a little. "Is that Central Park?" Rory asks pointing to it.

"Yeah, and if you look in the opposite direction, you can see the Empire State Building."(A/N: That is in NYC right?)

Rory gasped of amazement. She looked at him, her eyes sparkling. "I almost want to live here." Rory said smiling.

"It has its up sides."

"Oh, do you think we could see the bus station from here?"

"Yeah, just look to your left and you can see it." Jess said walking up to her and putting his hands on her upper arm, turning her body to the left, when she looked in the opposite direction. "I meant to my left, not yours." He corrected.

"Right, silly me." She said, trying to avoid the tingly feeling she got inside when she felt him touch her. "You really seem to know this place."

"Living her for sixteen years, can have that affect on you."

"I think I have gone stupid." She joked.

"That's it." Jess pointed to the bus station.

"Oh, it looks different from up here."

"Yeah."

"Jess?"

"Mmm?" Jess looked at her.

"Are you alright?"

Jess gave her a weird confused look. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Rory shook her head. "Nothing, nothing. You just don't seem like…you."

"Oh?"

"It doesn't matter, forget it. It's no big deal."

"Sure, if you say so."

After that Rory and Jess just sat down, as a silence fell upon the two. It was not uncomfortable, but it still wasn't comfortable. Rory sighed, maybe she shouldn't have asked, it wasn't really necessary anyways. He did look kind of weird to her, but she wasn't right all the time.

But she couldn't help it. He looked different and although he was acting the same way he did in Stars Hollow, Rory couldn't help but feel something was wrong with him, and she could tell it was killing him inside to get it out. And dare she say it; she thought he might be home sick, even if Stars Hollow wasn't his hometown.

Rory couldn't hold it in anymore, she hated this, she hated the silence. "Jess?" He didn't reply, he just looked at her. "Come back."

"What?" He asks, a confused look growing upon his face.

"Come back to Stars Hollow."

"Are you crazy?"

"Maybe?" Rory said weirdly.

"No. I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I am not needed over there alright?"

"Jess, common. Don't be stubborn."

"I'm not being stubborn Rory, just let it go." He said, raising his voice a little.

Rory looked at him sadly. "Sorry." She said then looked down. The weird silence fell again and Rory didn't like it. Suddenly Jess mumbled something, but she didn't understand, and her curiosity got the best of her. "What?"

"Nothing, nevermind."

"Jess." Rory warned.

He sighed. "How is he?" Jess repeated.

"Who?" Jess looked at her, and then she nodded, she knew whom he was talking about now. "Luke is fine."

"Oh, that's good."

"He misses you."

Jess looked up at her in shock. How could someone like Luke miss someone as bad as him? "No way."

"He does, he really does."

"How'd you know?"

"When I walked into the diner the other day and I asked about you, he looked so hurt and sad to say that you were gone, and although he would never admit it, I know he really liked having you around." She ranted. He looked at her in disbelief. "It's true." She said nodding.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So, your mother is really going to love that gift." He tried changing the subject.

"Yeah, she will, I can't wait to see her face at her graduation." Rory smiled, then she remembered her mother's graduation. "Jess, oh my God!" Rory said looking at her watch. "I have thirty minutes before I have to get to the bus station, how will I make it? Oh no, I'm going to miss her graduation! No." Rory whined.

"No, no you won't, just relax and I will make sure you make it." Jess said, the noticed the bus pull up. "Ok, look the bus just pulled up, if we run down the stairs extremely fast we can catch it. Common run!" Jess ordered as he grabbed her arm and dragged her down the stairs.

"Oh my God!" Rory kept whispering as they ran down, Jess in the lead. He ran out of the building before Rory and stopped the bus just as it was about to leave.

"Wait! I'm coming on!" Jess yelled, the bus driver opened the doors and eyed him evilly.

"Next be on time kid, or I'm leaving, I won't stop." He said, just about to close the door as Rory ran out of the building.

"No, that girl wants to get on, she's with me." Jess said as Rory ran through the open door and into the bus.

"Thanks for waiting mister." Rory said as Jess put some money into the box.

"Yeah, whatever, grab a seat and don't expect me to do it again." The bus driver warned.

Rory walked up to Jess and sat next to him in the back. "Hey, thanks so much." Rory said and slightly hugged him. He just nodded in response.

The bus ride was pretty fast again, and Rory felt really lucky. They made it to the bus station just on time; Rory gave her ticket to the bus driver and told him she would be on in a minute.

"This was really fun." Rory said smiling widely at Jess.

"Yeah. It was."

"Mom is going to love this, I have to tell her you paid for it, or pay you back somehow."

"No, don't worry about it."

"So, this is it."

"Yeah, well have a good ride, and we'll keep in touch."

"Yeah, sure." Rory said waving and getting on the bus, she sat in a seat near the back and looked out her window, to her surprise Jess was still there, she looked at him and say his lips moving, but she couldn't hear him through the window, so she opened it. _"What?"_

"_I said, why did you come here?" _Jess repeated.

"_Well--"_

"_I mean, you ditched school and everything. That's so not you. Why'd you do it?"_ He elaborated.

"_Because you didn't say goodbye." _

"_Oh."_ Silence fell between the two_. "Bye, Rory." _

Rory smiled_ "Bye, Jess."_ She closed the window and sat down, she was going to miss him.

Suddenly a man came and sat beside her, he looked scary. "Is this seat taken miss?" He asked. Rory noticed he also had an empty soda can and every once in a while he would spit in it.

"Um…"

"Good, so you won't mind if I sit in it?"

"Um…"

"Good." Rory didn't want to sit beside him, she opened her window, and although she couldn't see Jess, she could still feel his presence.

"Jess! Jess Mariano!" Rory yelled on the top on the top of her lungs. "Jess!" Rory yelled again. No one in the bus seemed to notice her screaming, not even the man next to her, maybe NYC was crazier then Stars Hollow, or maybe what she was doing was normal there. "Jess!" Rory yelled once again, louder if that was possible. Rory smiled when she saw Jess come running back to her bus from behind another bus. He walked up to where he was standing less then two minutes ago.

"Rory?" He asked confused. "Were you calling my name like some crazy person or am I the crazy person just hearing things?"

Rory stuck her head out the window and talked quietly, so the man spitting in the can couldn't hear her. "There is some weird, homeless looking man sitting next to me, who seems to enjoy spitting in a can, and personally I find that quite disgusting, so if there is anyway you could come on this bus with me that would be really appreciated." She rambled, not raising her voice one little bit.

"Rory? You want me to go to Stars Hollow with you?"

"Look, you don't have to stay, I mean you can if you want, but when I get off in the bus station you can take the next bus back, no one will even notice you were there."

"Rory…" Jess whined.

"Please? This guy is sort of freaky."

"I don't have a ticket."

"The bus driver isn't on the bus yet, come on, no one will care."

"That didn't sound like Rory Gilmore to me."

"Well then, it's the little man inside of me. Common Jess."

"You really want me to go on that bus with you?"

"Yeah, I do."

He sighed, what this girl could do to him sometimes drove him out of his mind. "Fine. I'm coming."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Rory said turning around and sitting down. This had actually turned out to be a good day.

Rory saw Jess walk down the aisle. He stopped right beside the man beside Rory. "Uhmm." Jess coughed, to get the mans attention, who seemed to be in his own world at this moment. The man looked up at Jess. "I think that seat is taken."

"Yes it is, by me." The man said, seeming to full of himself for his own good.

"Actually, that seat was saved for me, so if you don't mind there are many other seats open."

"And who might you be that this seat is saved for you?"

"He is my…boyfriend." Rory said interfering. Jess looked at her confused and she nodded for him to play along. Jess then turned his attention back to the man.

"Well, you could of just said that in the first place, sorry man, sit." The man said getting up and giving Jess his seat. Jess just nodded in acknowledgement and sat down. He looked at Rory and smirked.

"Your boyfriend huh?"

"Shut up, I had to say something otherwise that man would of never left my side. Ew, that sounded so dirty."

"More like Lorelai everyday." Jess mumbled.

"Thank you." Rory smiled widely. "So, I know I pushed you to come with me, but you know I really, really appreciate it. Not to many guys would care."

"What makes you think I care?"

"No, I mean-"

"I was just teasing, relax."

"Oh." Rory blushed.

"There you go blushing again." Rory smiled, and blushed even more. This bus ride was going to be really entertaining with Jess around.

"Is there any chance you will be staying-"

"No."

"I mean all your stuff is-"

"No."

"But it would be ni-"

"No."

"Is everything I'm going to ask you going to end with 'No'?"

"Maybe." Jess smirked at her. Suddenly Rory felt a pair of eyes looking at her so she looked around to see who it was. Then she finally realized it was that disgusting man, and he had sat right behind Rory and Jess. Rory looked at Jess and tapped him gently on the shoulder. Jess looked at Rory.

"Yeah?"

Rory sank down in his seat a little then started whispering. "_That man sat right behind us."_

"_What man and why are we whispering?" _

"_That disgusting, weird, man."_

"_Great. What does he want?" _

"_How should I know, I'm not asking him." _Rory then smiled wickedly at Jess. He just shook his head.

"_Are you insane?"_

"_Maybe. Ask him." _Rory ordered.

"_Yeah right."_

"_You afraid Jesse?" _Rory teased.

"_No, but I'm not talking to him."_

Rory sighed. "And they say men are the strong ones." Rory scoffed. "Yeah right." Rory got up and looked behind her. "Hi again."

"Hello." The man said confused.

"Do you like it there?" she asked pointing to the seat.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, um, you seem to have chosen the seat right behind your old one when there is still," Rory looked around, then continued, "about four more seats open. Any particular reason?" Rory asked prying.

The man gave her a confused look and sighed. "That guy, sitting next to you isn't your boyfriend, you just didn't want to sit next to me." The man said rudely.

"What makes you think he is not my boyfriend?"

"Your little 'He's my boyfriend' thing wasn't to convincing." The man fought.

"He is my boyfriend." Rory fought back.

"Really? Is he now?"

"Yes." Rory said, sounding confident.

"Prove it."

"What?" Rory asked shocked. "I am not going to prove myself to a man of whom I have never met before."

"That's what I thought."

"Whatever." Rory said turning around. "Ugh, I hate New York."

"Why?"

"Him." Rory said pointing behind her.

"Ah, the can guy."

"Yes him!"

"Why?"

"He doesn't believe you're my boyfriend."

"_Ror, I'm not your boyfriend." _Jess whispered.

"Still. He wanted me to 'prove it' and I couldn't and I suck, getting mad over this stuff."

"Let's prove it then."

"How Jess, I still have Dean remember?"

"Ah Dean. He's still your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, why do you always ask me that?"

"You know me, I love prying into peoples personal lives." Jess replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, you do." Rory said that, then suddenly it hit her, this bus hadn't moved for about twenty minutes now, and Rory was going to be late. Oh no, she was going to be late. "Jess! This stupid bus hasn't moved an inch, I'm ganna be late for mom's graduation." Rory exclaimed.

"It'll probably leave now Rory."

"Jess." Rory whined.

He sighed. "Hold on a second. Let me go check. Stay here." Jess said getting up, but then he felt Rory push him down.

"No, I'll go check." Rory said walking past Jess and up to the driver. "Excuse me, um, how much longer until this bus leaves to Stars Hollow, it is sort of urgent and I need to be there A.S.A.P."

"The bus leaves in another twenty minutes no more no less." He replied harshly.

"Is there any way possible to leave now or earlier?"

"Miss, I just told you that the bus leaves in twenty minutes, and if you have a problem with that you can get off the bus."

"No, no. That's fine."

"Otherwise go sit down and be patient." He added.

Rory breathed in deeply then looked down. "Sure." Rory walked back to her seat, tears stinging to come out.

"Hey. Everything alright?" Jess asked her worriedly.

"Yeah." Rory said. "Yeah, everything's just fine." Rory said then sat down. She looked out her window and didn't say a word.

"Rory?" She remained silent. "Rory." Jess tried again. She didn't say anything. '_Wow Gilmore Girls are stubborn.' _He thought.

Fifteen minutes later the engine started and the bus started moving. Rory hadn't said a word and the silence was annoying Jess. It had happened many times earlier that day, but it wasn't because one of them had gotten upset, it was just because they were at loss of words. "Your just going to stay silent the whole ride through? Common Rory, you said you had to be back by five, and now it's only four thirty. If you miss anything from your mom's grad, it'll only be the dean or something talking about how this was an amazing year, and how it was the best so far and so on."

Rory sighed of defeat; she hated not talking to Jess when all he had tried to do was make it all better. She looked at him, a sorry look on her face. "I'm not going to miss part of mom's graduation. It starts at six."

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Because, I hate this."

"What? What do you hate?"

"This. I could barely say a word to the bus driver without him being so rude and," she looked down, "how the hell do you stand it here, it's like a hell whole. Nothing but bad rude people everywhere."

"I grew up here, and I'm used to it."

"Well people here are crazy."

"What ever happened to 'next time anyone gives me those weird evil looks they give you here, _instead of ignoring them I just going to fix them with a really withering stare'? _I thought that was what you were going to do."

"Oh God, your right, I forgot I said that. Just wait until I get off this bus, that bus driver is going to get the worst withering stare he has ever seen." Rory said feeling confident.

"Since when do you get mad over how people talk to you anyways?"

"Hey! I'm not used to it." Rory looked at him, he looked at her as if she was silly.

"You acted like you were five." He smirked.

"No I didn't." Rory argued then noticed something; she had gotten mad over how the bus driver had talked to her? Since when did that happen? God, Jess was right. "I was acting like a five year old wasn't I? Geez." Rory said feeling dumb.

"I couldn't even tell you apart from one."

"Alright, enough about me acting like a five year old." Rory said motioning for him to stop.

"Whatever you say."

The rest of the bus ride was spent talking about random things that Rory and Jess always talk about, starting with Ayn Rand and ending with something about submarines. At exactly five fifteen pm Rory and Jess had made it to the small Stars Hollow bus station.

"So, your not going to stay huh?" Rory asked Jess as she was taking her stuff from the buses built in storage box.

"Nope. I'm ganna head back to New York." Jess replied.

"Well, it's your choice."

"Yes it is."

Rory put on her backpack and grabbed the bag holding the Go Go's record. "Alright. So I guess I better get going, I do have a graduation I don't want to miss."

"Yeah, I should get going as well."

"Thanks again for this." She said holding up the bag.

"Hey, don't mention it."

"Well, we'll keep in touch." Rory said, although it sounded more like a question.

"Yeah, yeah we will."

"Alright then."

"Say 'hi' to Luke." Jess mumbled, hoping Rory didn't hear.

Rory heard Jess and nodded. "Sure." Rory looked at Jess and decided maybe now would be a good time to leave before it got any harder. "Ok then. I should go. Um. Bye." Rory said smiling a bit.

"Yeah, bye." Jess said, nodding a little. He turned around to leave, but then he heard Rory call him.

"Jess!"

He turned back around. "Yeah?"

"I missed you."

Jess froze, his expression unknown. Rory smiled at him and turned around to leave. When she was out of sight, he sighed. She had just made that moment so complicated and she didn't even know it.

Meanwhile, Rory was walking home, the record in hand. She couldn't help but feel the need to go back to Jess and drag him back to Stars Hollow. She hoped that when she had said that to him he would of said it back and just told her he would move back. What was she thinking? Jess Mariano do something like that? Yeah right.

She went up the front steps and entered her house. She had to get ready for her mother's graduation. It was already five forty five and she wasn't ready. She ran into her bedroom and dropped everything on her bed. She searched her closet until she found something suitable to wear.

She slid the dress on and wore her button down sweater. Then she brushed her hair and fixed it up. She put on her shoes while trying to exit the house and headed for her car. she put the key in the ignition and left for the graduation.

As Rory entered the room where the graduation was being held, she could hear the dean talking about the school year. Rory saw her mother sitting in the front. She smiled to herself. She was so proud of Lorelai; she had done so much and gone such a long tiring way. She was amazing.

She looked around for an empty seat and noticed there was one right next to Sookie and Jackson. Rory walked up to them quietly and slid in her seat. Sookie looked in Rory's direction and smiled when she saw her.

"Hi honey, what took you so long?" Sookie asked whispering.

"Oh, um, my bus was late." Rory said.

"School bus?"

"Um yeah." Rory lied.

"Oh. Your mother was so worried you weren't going to make it."

"Well I did." Rory said kindly.

"Of course you would. I had no doubt about that." Sookie said rubbing Rory's arm.

The ceremony went on for a while. The dean talked a lot and then every teacher had to say something. The valedictorian also went up to talk and the founder of the community college spoke also. Finally after a long hour of speeches they started handing out diplomas.

"Susan Andrea Pierce." The dean called out, as the women went up to get her diploma. "Mark Peter Miner." He called out again and the man walked up to grab his diploma. "Sarah Claire Parks, Elizabeth Mary Bony, Anthony Richard Elmer, Samuel George Kan, Samantha Amy Herms…" The Dean kept on calling names until the only name Rory cared for was next. "Lorelai Victoria Gilmore." Lorelai smiled as they called her name and walked up to get her diploma. She skimmed the crowd and looked around. Smiled when she saw Rory and waved, as Emily's photographer took pictures of Lorelai.

Rory looked back and caught Emily crying. Richard was clapping, as a big smile remained on his face, Rory was really happy she had actually decided invited her grandparents. Then she looked to the other end and noticed Sookie was taking pictures and Jackson was just sitting there, obviously bored. Rory turned around and looked to the sides of the room, and to her surprise Luke was standing in the corner, trying to hide himself. No camera was in his hands, but for him to actually show up when he was mad at Lorelai was enough.

Rory looked back and looked at her mother. She stood up and clapped ad Lorelai walked off the stage. The Dean called out a few other names and then the ceremony was over. "I present to you the graduates of the year 2002!" The dean yelled as everyone clapped, and the graduates threw their hats in the air.

Lorelai walked up to Rory and hugged her. "I did it! I graduated! I'm free!" Lorelai said loudly.

"Congrats mom! I'm so proud of you." Rory smiled the pulled away a little so that she could see Lorelai. "My own little graduate." Rory smiled and pinched her cheek lightly.

"Stop kiddo, or I will be forced to…um… I can't think of anything right now because I'm to busy concentrating on the fact that I just GRADUATED!" Lorelai shrieked, as Rory laughed and let go.

"Lorelai!" Sookie and Jackson yelled in unison.

"Sookie, Jackson!" Lorelai yelled back. "I did it!"

"Honey, I'm so proud of you!" Sookie said hugging Lorelai tightly.

"Sookie, I would like to live to enjoy this excitement." Lorelai said when Sookie hugged her to tightly.

"Oh, sorry." Sookie said smiling shyly.

"Mom, guess what." Rory said.

"What?"

"Luke was here."

"What, no Hun, he didn't come."

"Yeah, he was here, he was standing on the side, in the corner. I noticed him when I was looking through the crowd but I don't think he's here anymore."

"Oh. I wish you told me earlier."

"I would of, but you were to busy graduating remember?"

"Right. Oops." Lorelai smiled

"Lorelai!" Emily called as she and Richard approached.

"Mom, Dad." Lorelai said enthusiastically.

"congratulations Lorelai, your mother and I are very proud." Richard said smiling at Lorelai.

"Thanks Dad." Lorelai looked at Emily. "I'm really glad you could make it mom." Lorelai said.

"Yes. Well we better get going."

"Grandma, Grandpa. Please wait a second. Don't leave just yet."

"Rory, I didn't even notice your presence. How are you dear?" Richard asked.

"I'm fine grandpa. Hi Grandma."

"Hello Rory." Emily replied.

"Look grandma grandpa, please just wait her a moment, Sookie and Jackson will keep you company." Rory said eyeing Sookie.

"Yes, of course. How are you Mrs. Gilmore, Mr. Gilmore?" Sookie greeted.

Rory walked up to Lorelai and grabbed her by the arm and dragged her so that they couldn not be heard by the Gilmore's.

"Rory?" Lorelai asked worriedly.

"Mom. Grandma isn't happy." Rory said.

"Oh honey, she'll be fine."

"Mom, did you see her? When you were graduating, she was so proud of you, that she-"

Lorelai finished the sentence. "That she started crying. Hun, I saw her crying." Lorelai said looking down.

"She was so proud of you, don't feel bad mom." Rory said.

"I know sweets." Lorelai answered.

"You know what, let's go out for supper with Grandma, Grandpa, Sookie and Jackson. What do you say?"

"I say, where do we eat?"

"Um…oh! The Inn, Sookie can cook, she'd love to and we can all sit down and eat. Huh?"

Lorelai pondered it for a minute. "Filet Mignon?" Lorelai asked raising her eyebrows.

"Whatever you want mom, Sookie will cook."

"Alright then."

"Let's go tell them." Rory said as she and Lorelai walked back to the whole group. "Hey everyone. Sorry about that, but mom and I just had a great idea. Mom tell them."

"Ok, this was Rory's idea, and I couldn't help but agree. But I want to invite you all to the inn for supper. Anyone can have whatever they want, and it will be cooked by the best chef in the world." Lorelai said smiling widely at Sookie, who just nodded with excitement. "So? Mom, Dad? What do you say? I would love to have you there." Lorelai said putting on a smile.

Emily looked at Richard, who just nodded. "Well, since we have nothing else on the agenda, we would love to join." Emily said gladly.

"Alright then. Shall we?" Lorelai asked.

"Let's shall." Rory said smiling and leading the way, as everyone followed. Everyone went in their own car. Emily and Richard, Sookie and Jackson. And Lorelai took her jeep as Rory took the car Dean built her. They drove into town.

Suddenly Rory heard her cell phone wring in her purse. Luckily it was a red light and Rory could take it out on time. She picked up not checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" Rory asked into the phone.

"Hun, it's mommy. Look, I need to ask you a favor." Lorelai began.

"Alright shoot."

"Well I just drove past Luke's and I couldn't help but feel bad, so I was wondering if you could-"

"Yes, I'll invite him for you. But save a good seat on the table right next to you." Rory said.

"Alright thank you Hun."

"No problem. Bye mom."

"Cya soon sweetie." Lorelai said and with that she hung up.

Rory drove past Luke's and parked right in front of the entrance. She got out of the car and entered the diner. As usual the bell rang and Luke looked up. When he saw that it was Rory he looked down again. Rory walked up to him a confused look on her face.

"Hello." Rory greeted.

"Hi." Luke said not looking up.

"How are you?" Rory said, trying to get him to look up at her.

"Good." He replied.

"Luke? Is there any chance you are trying avoid me?" Rory asked uncertainly.

"No."

"So why is it that you are only giving me one word answers?"

"Because."

"There you go again." Rory pointed out.

"Is there a point to this very interesting conversation, because I have a diner to run."

"Luke, Kirk and I are the only people here." Rory said obviously.

"Rory, get to the point."

"I saw you at mom's graduation." Rory said.

"I didn't go, you couldn't have seen me."

"Weird, I could or sworn I saw a man with the same exact flannel shirt and baseball cap over there."

"I wasn't wearing a baseball cap, or a flannel shirt." Luke said matter-of-factly.

"Aha! You did you."

"Geez."

"Sorry. Look, I didn't come here to debate with you whether or not you were at the graduation or not, but I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to the Inn for a sort or Graduation supper. Mom wanted me to ask you, inspite the fact that you are mad at mom."

"I'm not mad at Lorelai."

"Uh-huh." Rory said disbelievingly.

"Rory, I can't go, remember, I own a diner?"

"Luke, are you seriously going to tell me that you can't go to mom's graduation because you must serve Kirk?"

"He's a paying customer, so I must serve him." Luke argued.

"Luke, I think Caesar can handle it."

"I don't know."

"Luke, please for mom." Luke sighed.

"I am not getting dressed up." Luke said.

"You don't have to, but you must change your shirt, its full of flour." Rory pointed out.

Luke looked down and agreed. "Yeah. I'll meet you there." Luke said.

"Alright. See you soon." Rory called as she left the diner. She got into her car and drove to the Inn only awaiting that night's events.

**A/N: **Hey, looks like I am rewriting the whole ending to the second season, even if it was my favorite one… anyways, I'm looking for 5 reviews in order to go on. This chapter took a lot out of me and it is pretty long. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Lol. Please leave a review, which would really be appreciated.

Oh, I hope the little brake-down Rory had on the bus didn't suck too much, I couldn't come up with anything else at the moment so I sort of went with the flow. Sorry.

**-Chrissy**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Hey! Alright, I just read and reread all of your reviews, and I must say, I couldn't help but crack a smile. Although some of you think I need a beta…I cannot help but agree, I even got a volunteer who wanted to beta for me. I really appreciate the offer, but I am going to have to deny it, because, I find it better if I do the correcting myself, I'm sorry, (to my volunteer: be sure to know that if I do decide to get a beta you're number **one** on my list) Anyways, enough of that, here is chapter five.

**Disclaimer: **No not me, some other lucky person owns Gilmore Girls.

_This chapter starts sort of after Rory and Jess' last encounter at the bus station._

_**Chapter 5**_

He had been standing in the middle of a crowded bus station for about an hour, not moving and no sign of emotion on his face. He looked like someone had frozen him solid, the only movement in his body, the blinking of his eyes, and his quiet breathing.

He stood there replaying the moment both he and the town princess had shared, and now look where he was; walking down the quiet, dark, and empty streets of the craziest town known to mankind. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the only normal place in this town.

He walked down the wooden path and sat down right in the middle, trying to avoid the little wooden thorns poking into his navy blue jeans. He looked down at the water, not noticing that the water was hitting the bottom of his Converse and soaking right through it. He breathed in deeply, pondering the thought to come back and live his uncle. Would it really be worth it?

He let out the air he had just inhaled, and shuffled through his leather jacket's pockets. He kicked himself mentally for not bringing a box of cigarettes along with him, especially at a time like this. He couldn't think of anyway to get all the heavy feelings he had lying on his back off, so he just started swinging his legs back and forth over the water, unfortunately, he had damped his feet in the process. Although at that moment, nothing felt more relaxing then that.

Suddenly before he knew it, he had gotten all the upper half of his pants wet, yet the heavy feelings on his back were gone. He smirked slightly then got up to continue his little walk around town. He could hear the squeaking of his shoes every time his feet hit the cemented ground, and his soaked pants sent shivers throughout his whole body. He took his hands out of his pockets and wrapped them around himself, to keep the chilled air from hitting his cold chest.

He turned to his left and noticed the diner, it was obviously closed; the chairs were on the tables, and the lights were off. Although something about that picture made him stop walking and look right through the clear windows, it was odd that Luke hadn't closed the blinds, he usually did. He pondered weather or not he should go up and ask Luke to crash there for the night, or just sit on a nearby bench and wait until the bus station opens and freeze to death.

He sighed and knew that the sanest thing to do would be to ask/beg his uncle to let him sleep in his old bed, if not on the couch. He walked up to the door and knocked as loud as he could, he got no reply, he tried again, and he got the same result. Then he noticed that the truck that was usually parked right beside the diner was not there. He cursed silently and sat down on the steps.

He felt another brush of wind hit his wet legs and the lower part of his chest, which caused him to shiver once more. He hated this, why the hell did he have to get on that stupid bus and come to this stupid town that he hated? He got up and walked ten feet then stopped. He remembered his uncle's spare key, lying just above the entrance door. He turned around and walked back, he grabbed the key and held it tightly in his hand; he had to think about what he was doing first, right?

Screw thinking, he took the key and shoved it in the key whole and entered the warm diner. He locked the door and walked upstairs placing the key into his jacket pocket. He entered his uncle's bathroom and took a warm shower, and then he went through his old, not yet emptied, drawer and found a nice comfortable pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt. He put them on and grabbed a book from his book collection and started to read on the old worn out sofa.

Meanwhile at Lorelai's graduation party/supper, everyone seemed to be having a good time, except one teenaged seventeen-year-old girl. Lorelai walked up to her daughter and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

"Hun, are you alright? You seemed a bit dazed out." Lorelai asked her worriedly.

"Yeah…I'm fine." She relied glumly.

"You seemed so different at my graduation ceremony, what happened?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what sweetie?"

"Um…well, I was thinking about something, actually more along the lines of someone, but I would rather not say anything now, it would just ruin the good mood."

"If your sure, I guess we could talk at home, this should be over in less then half an hour."

"Alright, plus you still didn't see the gift I got you."

"Oh! I got a gift! You got me a gift!" Lorelai yelled excitedly as she jumped up and down while clapping her hands.

"Are you five?" Rory asked referring to her mother's childish actions.

"Hey! Watch it young lady, I happen to know where you live." Lorelai mock warned.

"Yeah whatever." Rory mock rolled her eyes.

"Tell me more about this gift." Lorelai says, changing the subject.

"You're going to love it. Not to brag or anything, but it is such a great gift."

"Maybe we should just end the party now so I can go and get my gift!" Lorelai suggested jokingly.

"Nice try, but no."

"Aw, you just took away my little happy charade." Lorelai mock-whined.

"You'll get over it soon enough."

"Yeah, yeah. Smart brainiacks are no fun." Lorelai mumbled.

"But smart brainiacks can pick out pretty good presents." Rory teased. "And we know how to hide presents, so the graduate doesn't find it, therefore she doesn't get it." She continued.

"Fine, I'll stop."

"That's a good little girl, now go play with all your little friends." Rory shooed her off in a baby voice.

"Fine. But in," She checked her watch, "exactly 24 minutes and 27 seconds, until I get to see my gift. Oh, now 24 seconds, 23, 22, 21, 20…" Lorelai continued.

"Ok, ok, I got this point. Now go!" Rory said pushing her mother away.

"I will be back!" Lorelai said, in a low voice, sounding like Arnold Schwarzenegger in a disturbing, kind of way.

She looked at her mother as she walked up to her parent's table and sat down to talk to them. Rory was proud about how Lorelai had gotten along pretty well that day with her mother, not getting in any fights, like their usual conversations.

She smiled to herself then turned around, finding Luke sitting right across from her. He didn't seem to notice that Rory had seen him; he was just looking out into space, thinking about nothing in particular. Rory snapped her fingers right in front of his eyes, trying to get his attention. Luckily it worked.

He shook his head then looked at Rory. "Oh, sorry." Luke apologized.

"Don't worry about it." She replied smiling at him. "So, are you enjoying your time?"

"Well, I haven't done much but eat and drink."

"Yeah, good point."

Luke nodded. "This, is kind of awkward for you isn't it?"

"No, why would it be?" Rory questioned.

"I don't know, it feels kind of…" He trailed off.

"Kind of what?"

"Nothing, nevermind."

"Okay?"

"So, I'm gonna head back to the diner now." Luke said.

"Luke it's only nine."

"I know. There isn't much left to do anyhow."

"I have to tell you something first." Rory said, pondering quickly if she should tell him about seeing Jess before her mother even knew about it. '_Maybe it would be best to tell him later' _she thought.

"Oh, alright."

"Um…err…your…um…shirt…yeah your shirt, is um…nice." Rory said, trying to make it sound as convincing as she could.

Luke looked down at his dark blue shirt. "Um, thanks." Luke looked confused. "Is that all?" He asked not seeming convinced.

Rory nodded furiously. "Yep, that's all, nothing else to say, nothing at all." Rory put on a fake smile then waved as Luke got up to leave. "Drive safe." She added, her fake smile turning into a frown as he turned his back. "Wow, I'm so pathetic." Rory mumbled then put her head in her hands.

Luke got in his truck and drove back to the diner. He parked the car in his usual spot. He walked up to the steps. He pot his hands in his pocket, searching for his keys, and realized that he had left them in the truck, but also, he had looked it.

"Damn it!" He yells to himself. He reaches up for the key above the door's entrance, and felt that is was not there. "Who took the damn key!" Luke yells once again to himself. Then randomly starts banging on the door, letting loose all his frustration.

Upstairs, Jess' reading his book, suddenly he hears loud noises coming from downstairs. He slams his book shut, then heads downstairs. He rushes to the door not being able to see who was on the other side because the blinds were shut close. "What?" Jess yells, opening the door.

"Jess?" Luke asked surprised to see his nephew.

"Lucas." Jess acknowledges nodding his head.

Luke shook his head swiftly; as to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "Jess?" Luke repeated.

"Whatever you do, it will not change the fact that I am standing right in front of you." Jess pointed out, a smirk playing on his lips.

"What the…why are you here?" Luke asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Jess said and turned around and headed upstairs. Knowing how stubborn Luke was, he wasn't going to take that for an answer. So he locked up and he went upstairs quickly.

"Hey!" Luke called. "Jess, wherever you are come out now before I find you and kill you!" He said raising his voice with every word.

Jess rushed out of the bathroom, his old toothbrush in hand, and toothpaste foam all over his mouth. "What?" Jess asked, annoyed. "Can't you see I'm brushing my damn teeth?"

Luke shook his head. He pointed to the bathroom his face turning red. "Finish brushing your teeth and come out fast, because you have a lot of explaining to do mister!" He yelled, and Jess obeyed.

He came out three minutes later, no sign of toothpaste anywhere. Jess looked for his uncle and found him sitting on the chair, in the living room. Jess sighed, then walked up to him. "You wanted an explanation?" Jess asked, shocking his uncle.

Luke stood up and looked at him, turning red once more. "Sit." Luke ordered. Jess looked at him disbelievingly. "You heard me sit!" Luke ordered once again but louder.

"Geez, okay, okay." Jess said, sitting down. "Are you happy now?"

"Ecstatic." Luke replied with anger and sarcasm.

"Huh." Luke stood from his chair and started pacing around in the room. "Your going to put a whole in the floor." Jess commented.

Luke looked at Jess, he seemed calmer, but you could see the imaginary question marks drawn all over Luke's face. "Jess, are you in trouble?" he asked him normally.

"Nope."

"Then what the hell you doing here, Jess? You know I expected you to call me, _say you got home, say no one mugged me on the bus, say you were okay. Say…you know what, never mind. Just tell me what it is you want." _Luke said, growing frustrated.

"_I wanna come back."_

"_You what_?" Luke asked, he was almost certain he misunderstood what Jess had said. He knew how much Jess hated this town.

"_I want to come back." _Jess repeated.

"_Come back here?" _

"_Yes." _

"_Here to Stars Hollow?" _

"_Yes." _

"_To live in this apartment with me?" _

"_I said yes a million times already." _He said annoyed.

"_You know what, you're the one asking for something so you don't get to be James Dean this time, okay? Now, one more time, you wanna come back?" _

"_Yes." _Jess answered, which caused Luke to somehow get the impression he was dreaming, so he pinched himself. He still didn't awake and he actually felt it, so he tried again, take a wild guess what happened. "What are you doing?" Jess asked.

"Great, I'm not dreaming." Luke mumbled.

"What?" Jess asked confused.

"Nothing."

"Alright."

"_Why?" _Luke asked, randomly, causing the conversation to go back to the previous one.

"Why what?" Luke stretched his arms out and showed Jess what he was talking about. "_I just, I… I just wanna come back." _He answered.

"_You know what people told me when I said you were coming here to live with me? They told me I was crazy, they told me I was insane, they told me to start writing letters to Jodie Foster - but I ignored them. I was so sure that I knew what I was doing and then you showed up and you know what happened? You proved them right. I was crazy, and now after all that has happened, after all the chaos and havoc that you have wreaked, you're seriously standing there wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a butt with hands that are flipping me off, telling me you wanna come back?"_ Luke rambled.

While Luke was ranting, Jess had made his way around the apartment looking around, at his stuff, even though he already knew it was there. _"You didn't pack up my stuff yet." _He pointed out.

"_Uh, no, I've been a little busy." _Luke answered a bit to fast.

"_When were you planning on sending it back to me?" _

"_What, hey, am I wearing a little brown uniform with UPS stamped on it?" _

"_So, what do you think?" _Jess went back to the conversation.

"_Things are gonna have to be different, Jess." _He explained.

"_I know." _

"_Okay." _

"_Okay?" _Jess asked disbelievingly.

"_So you're staying?" _Luke made sure.

"_I'm staying." _He clarified.

"_Okay, then. Stay." _Luke agreed, not sure if it was the right decision or not. Jess just nodded.

"I'm going to walk around a bit." Jess said.

"_Sure. She's not home."_

"_Who?" _Jess played dumb.

"She's still with Dean. _They're doing really good, Dean and Rory_."

"Good." Jess says monosyllabically.

"_Just leave it alone, Jess. She's got a boyfriend. Just let it go."_

"_I don't know what you're talking _about_. I'm just going for a walk_." He lied.

"_You heard what I said?"_

"_Yeah, I heard what you said."_

"Enjoy your walk." Luke said smirking just as Jess reached for the doorknob.

Jess turned around, looking agitated. "Forget the walk, I'm going to bed." Jess said storming off into his side of the apartment. Luke smiled, content with Jess and himself's little talk.

Back at the Inn, both Lorelai and Rory were cleaning up, in the dining room, while Sookie and Jackson 'took over' the kitchen. Rory was wiping down the last table for the night, when Lorelai walked up to her.

"It's alright Hun, I'll take care of the rest." Lorelai said.

"There is only one table remaining I think I can handle it." Rory said while she was perched down over the table, smiling up at her mother.

"If you say so."

"I do." Rory wiped it one last time then stood up. "See all done." She smiled.

"Ok, then let's go tell Sookie to close up and then we can go home and OPEN MY PRESENT!" Lorelai cried happily.

"Alright, let's go." Rory said as both she and Lorelai made their way into the kitchen, only to find Sookie and Jackson kissing in front of the oven.

Lorelai cleared her throat loudly, but the didn't seem to notice, so Rory tried a different approach.

She spoke loudly to her mother. "YOU KNOW, I HEAR KISSING IN FRONT OF THE OVEN IS BAD LUCK IN THE KITCHEN!" just as Rory had suspected, Sookie and Jackson flew apart.

"Is that really true?" Sookie asked; her cheeks cherry red.

"Sookie, we do not believe in superstition." Jackson said annoyed.

"How long have you girls been in here?" Sookie asked worriedly.

"Just about the time Jackson's tongue--" Rory elbowed her mother. "Ow!"

"We've been in here long enough." Rory said rolling her eyes, at her mother's deadly stare.

"Sorry, I guess we were just a little bit—"

"We don't need the details honey." Lorelai cut her off.

"Oh right sure." Sookie looked at Jackson, who seemed to be sweating like a hairy man in a sweater in the summertime.

"Well, we better get going, me and Rory have some _important business _to attend." Lorelai smirked.

"Important business as in opening your amazing gift?" Rory asked.

"No………of course not………possibly………yes!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Ok, Sookie, you know what to do; turn everything in the kitchen off and then get Henry (**a/n: **let's jut say _Henry _works the night shift ;) ) to check up on our guests."

"Oh, sure." Sookie nodded.

"Bye honey." Lorelai smiled.

"Bye Sookie, bye Jackson." Rory waved goodbye as did Lorelai and they both left.

Lorelai and Rory had arrived home in no time, possibly because Lorelai had broken every speed limit in the book, just to make it home fast so she could open her present A.S.A.P. She jumped out of the car forgetting her keys, so Rory had to take then out of the ignition and lock the car. She walked into the house and found her mother searching everywhere.

"Mom, it's in my room." Rory said shaking her head.

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?" Lorelai asked herself.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Rory smirked.

"Your evil comment will not let me down, because I just got a PRESENT!" Lorelai said in a singsong voice. Rory followed Lorelai into her bedroom and found Lorelai looking through her closet, while the bag was lying on Rory's bed. Rory took the bag and held it up.

"Mom, over here!" Lorelai spun around swiftly then grabbed the bag. "Hey! No thank you?" Rory pouted.

Lorelai looked up fast. "Yeah, thanks." She opened the bag and took out the disc. "OH MY GOD, YOU GOT ME THE GO GO'S!" Lorelai shrieked.

"Yeah, I saw it and I had to get you it." '_Well actually Jess did.' _Rory thought then frowned, how was she supposed to tell her mother about going to see Jess?

"Oh baby, this is the best gift I have ever gotten." Lorelai said seriously, hugging her daughter.

"Hey, you deserve it." Rory smiled and hugged her back. "I love you mom." A few tears fell from Lorelai's eyes.

"I love you to sweets." Lorelai pulled away, and wiped her tears. "So, tell me, where did you get this? Hartford right?" Lorelai questioned, no more tears in sight.

"Actually…" Rory began, growing nervous. "Um…I…"

"Oh! I know, Lane gave it you, didn't she? She must have bought it or something? Right? See I'm so smart, I just knew it!" Lorelai smiled widely.

Rory put on a fake smile. "Yeah, um, Lane actually helped me pick it out, but I bought it." Rory lied.

"Remind to thank her. This is a fabulous present."

"Actually, you know, I can do that for you." Rory answered a little to fast.

Lorelai crooked an eyebrow. "Sure, um alright."

"Good." Rory said laughing nervously.

"Rory?"

"Yes?"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing." She lied.

"Rory." Lorelai warned.

Rory gulped and looked up. "Nothing, I didn't do anything." That was the hardest thing Rory had to ever do. She hated lying to her mother, her bestfriend.

"Okay honey, I trust you." Lorelai said then kissed Rory's head. "I'm gonna crash for the night k? Sorta tired, it's been a really long day."

"Ok, night mom." Rory said then hugged her. "See you tomorrow."

"Yep." Lorelai said then exited Rory's bedroom, leaving Rory there alone. Rory didn't want to do anything right now, she already felt rotten inside, she might as well go to bed.

Rory headed into the bathroom and took a long shower, draining all the events of the following few days away with the water. She brushed her teeth then put on her pajamas and headed to bed.

Meanwhile upstairs Lorelai couldn't sleep, mostly because she was so happy about the recent day. She couldn't help but feel free and complete. She had just finished college and that feeling was one of the few feelings amongst a few others that could never be crushed.

Although, she wasn't completely satisfied with this day, it had begun wonderfully but as it neared an end, she had a weird feeling grow in the pit of her stomach, and that was directly directed to Rory's nervous behavior in the bedroom downstairs. Something was wrong with Rory and she hiding it, and it was scaring Lorelai, because Rory would never hide anything from her.

Later on, Lorelai fell asleep, but felt a heavy weight sink into the bed not to soon after. She opened her eyes slowly and found Rory asleep right beside her. She smiled a little then turned around so he back was facing Rory.

The next morning Rory awoke only to find the side her mother had just been sleeping on was empty, she felt the mattress on the right side and noticed it was cold, Lorelai had left a while ago. Rory inhaled deeply then exhaled. She turned around in the bed, but as her head hit the mattress she heard something crumble. She felt her head and it was a sticky note. It read; _you know it's me so why bother right…anyways I woke up at like five am and I couldn't go back to bed so I'm in the kitchen attempting to make something edible, so hurry and get down here or you'll miss your bus!_

Rory smiled as she read through the note. She got up slowly and headed for her mothers bathroom. She got ready there using her mothers stuff then went downstairs to get dressed. She made her way to the kitchen and saw Lorelai on the table with two plates, carrying waffles. Rory smiled and sat down.

"Morning." Lorelai said smiling.

"Good morning mom." Rory smiled.

"Sleep well in _my _bed?"

"Actually I did." Rory smiled. "How about you?"

"I got kicked a few times, I felt like I was pregnant all over again. But then I remembered it was you sleeping right beside me." Lorelai explained.

"Oh, well if that all…" Rory laughed loudly.

"Wait, no that's not all." Lorelai began, Rory motioned for her to go on. "Someone may of mentioned a town hoodlums name many times in her sleep also, that kept me up a whole lot." Lorelai said seriously.

"What?"

"Yeah. And there is more." Lorelai said completely serious.

"Um…what?"

"When I woke up this morning I checked our messages and guess what?"

"What?" Rory grew nervous.

(Flashback to five o'clock am.)

_Lorelai walked down the stairs slowly. She had just woken up, at five because Rory kept on talking in her sleep, something about mentioning Jess and the Go Go's. Lorelai was confused and her thoughts on how Jess and the Go Go's could remotely be used in the same sentence kept her up. _

_But eventually she gave up and decided it would be alright to go downstairs and make a warm cup of coffee. Suddenly she heard a beeping noise coming from around the living room. It sounded a lot like the answering machine so Lorelai left the coffee machine on and went to check out the messages. _

_There were only two messages and Lorelai checked then both. The first one was from Chris._

"_Hey lore hey Rory. I just called to give a quick hello and to let you know that I'm going to be in Texas for the next month. I'll call some other time and let you what about. I love you guys. Bye."_

_Lorelai yawned and push the 'next' button to hear the next message. _

"_Hello Miss Gilmore, this is Cheyenne, the Chilton secretary. I am calling on regard to Rory Gilmore. She was absent Monday the sixth of March, (**A/N**_Ok, this is just a random date I came up with. It is so not the usual date for the real show_) for an unknown reason. We didn't receive a call from yourself, so we called to inform you. We hope to see Rory back soon. Goodbye."_

_Lorelai gasped, as her eyes widened. Rory hadn't gone to school…she skipped school to go God knows where. Lorelai walked back into the kitchen to check on her coffee and to think this over._

End flashback)

"Oh." Rory said looking down after her mother had explained.

"Why did you skip school? Is everything alright? Don't tell me—"

Rory didn't let her continue. "Nothing is wrong mom."

"Then what is it sweetie? Where did you go?"

"Mom, I really don't want to talk about it." Rory said while getting up to go get dressed.

"No, sit down. I don't care if you have to miss your bus, I will drive you but I want an explanation." Lorelai ordered, not to kindly.

"Mom. Don't get mad please." Rory begged.

"Don't get mad? Are you insane Rory? You skipped school and the only person I could think that would do that would be…" Lorelai yelled then trailed off until she understood.

"Mom?"

"Jess!"

"What?"

"Jess. You kept on mumbling his name in your sleep, then I find out you miss school. That can only mean…"

"I went to see Jess." Rory finished.

"In…you went to…"

"New York. Yes." Rory looked down.

"Oh honey. You didn't."

Rory gulped. "Yeah…I went to New York."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I'm an idiot mom."

"No your not." Lorelai moved her chair closer to Rory's then put her arm around her shoulder. "Common, there has to be a reason you went."

"I…mom…you drove him off in such a mean way. And I couldn't bear to have him leave like that. I mean he didn't deserve it. Everyone blamed him and Dean was being such a jerk and I don't know mom."

"What? Dean?" Lorelai had a big question mark drawn up on her head. In other words she was confused. "How does Dean fit into this?"

"I told him about Jess and I." Rory took a deep breath. "He didn't take it to well. But then he cooled off. And Jess called and Dean came and he made a move on me and I kicked him out and there was just so much going on. I just wanted to get away from it all I guess and…I wanted to see _him_." Rory let a few tears fall, but she didn't cry out.

"Hun, it's okay." Rory didn't look up, but she did say something;

"I don't even know why I wanted to see him." She whispered.

"I do." Lorelai said and Rory's head shot up.

"Mom, I think I am suffering from some weird disease I am sick, I'm ill, I'm cracked... I have a strange mental problem and I'm retarded and—" Rory yelled now crying.

"_Okay, look, nobody wants to say this any less than me, but I— maybe you don't have a medical condition or a mental problem. Maybe, honey, you are falling for Jess."_

"_No_." Rory said shaking her head. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Well—" Rory didn't let her continue.

"_No, I love Dean. Dean is my boyfriend. He will always be my boyfriend. That's it. Forever."_

"_Well, maybe not forever." _Lorelai added.

"_Yes, forever. I love Dean and Jess is gone now and everything's going to be good again. Everything's going to be all right."_

"_Rory, you cut school." _

"_Yeah, I know." _

"_You got on a bus and went to a strange city in your uniform to see Jess." _

"_I know." _

"_Well, that doesn't mean nothing. That means something. I mean—" _

"_No! I don't want to talk about this anymore!"_ Rory said and stormed off into her room to get ready. Lorelai was not going to take that for an answer, she followed Rory.

"Rory, do not just cut the conversation like that. Hey! look at me." Lorelai ordered as Rory started throwing her clothes everywhere.

"Mom! I have Dean." Rory said and turned to look at her. "Dean Forester! Ring any bells. My boyfriend. B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D." Rory spelled out.

"I know how to spell boyfriend Rory, now stop yelling." Lorelai said calmly. "Don't get mad at me babe. I did nothing wrong. I just told you what was going on, and you know it to." Lorelai walked out of the room, but Rory heard her yell something. "You just missed the bus! I'm going to have to drive you hurry!"

Rory sighed and got dressed, this wasn't the way she expected everything to go.

**A/N: ok, chapter five is only twelve pages, usually my chapters are seventeen, but I couldn't come up with anything else to write and this ending seemed appropriate. So tell me what you thought.**

**-Chrissy♥**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Wow! I love the reviews people! You guys rock! But…I feel so bad…and I am such a bad person to have offended **Shinyobjectslover, **and all you other NYorkers I feel so horrible and I hope all of you NYorkers didn't think I meant NYorkes were bad…I mean my dad if from NYC after all…please don't think I meant to imply anything against you. : S

**Disclaimer: **If I could I would but I can't so I won't.

_**Chapter 6**_

Rory sat in her bus on her way back from school. Her mother had driven her and she had missed half her first class so the headmaster made her sit in the office for forty-five minutes waiting for the class to finish.

Rory had had a bad day at school, everyone seemed to be shooting her disturbing glares and no one seemed to want to talk to her. The long day at school grew even worse when it started to rain and since they were cleaning the floors in the gym so they had to do PE outside.

She ran a hand through her wet hair and sighed. Something about this day made it very predictable that something horrible was going to pop up. But yet again hadn't enough devious things come to haunt her enough today? Did she really deserve worse karma?She asked herself those to questions on and on rhetorically. She definitely hoped not.

The bus came to a halt shortly after. Rory walked out, the rain soaking her even more then she already seemed to be. She walked down the narrow streets contemplating weather to go home or just head to Luke's and have herself a large cup of coffee, to relax her senses a bit.

Her mother wouldn't be home for another two hours or so, so she wouldn't have to face her and explain herself after the little disagreement they had earlier that day. Rory remembered the half hour car ride remained in a restless uncomfortable silence. Each one of them seemed to tense up every time one would make a barely audible noise. Rory shook her head to place the thoughts in the back of her head.

She continued her short walk, not to many things going on in her head. Suddenly she felt the rain stop, right on top of her head. But as she looked straight ahead the rain kept falling. She looked to down and noticed a very familiar pair of shoes walk right beside her. Then she looked to her right and frowned.

"Dean." Rory said, which caused him to look at her and smile.

"Hello to you to."

"What are you doing here?" She said as she looked up and noticed the umbrella he was holding.

"I live here."

"No I mean here, with me." She explained harshly.

"Well aren't I allowed to accompany my girlfriend when she is walking alone?" He asked hoping she wasn't still holding a grudge about what happened two days ago.

"I am really not in the mood to talk to you let alone anyone else at the moment, so I would really appreciate it if you would just leave me to continue my little stroll around town _alone_." She declared.

"Rory this is ridiculous. I'm sorry about the whole thing at your place a few days ago. I didn't know it was going to cause such a commotion."

"Well it did." Rory said as she sped up.

Dean sighed and watched as she slowed her pace when she was a few feet away; he took that as his chance and ran up to her. "Wait." He said and grabbed her arm.

"What?" Rory yelled and spun around.

"I love you, you know that." He smiled.

"Love will not correct your mistake Dean." She said stubbornly and continued her walk, this time leaving Dean there completely confused. He wasn't expecting that, he expected her to say it back and forgive him. He frowned as he looked down and walked home.

Rory looked back and noticed Dean walking back home his back turned to her. She felt horrible about what she did but she knew she had to do it…She sighed and continued walking home, not in the mood for coffee anymore.

Before she knew it, she was home doing her outnumbered work. A few hours later she had finished and just in the same moment Lorelai walked in as if on cue. She stole a glance at Rory then ran upstairs and shut her bedroom door.

Friday came by slowly for the Gilmore Girls. They both hadn't said anything to eachother since Tuesday morning and they both didn't leave the house, except for work and school and right after they had finished they would come home and ignore eachother some more. It was a miracle how long they had gone without Luke's food, let alone his coffee.

Finally Rory was home for the weekend. She ran into the house and jumped onto the couch. She didn't have to face Paris (…for the dumb election. Paris convinced her to run for Vice President so that she could win the election as President, and apparently if Rory ran they would vote for Paris because both she and Rory made a good team…) or anyone else from Chilton for the rest of the week and Rory couldn't be more relieved.

She grabbed her book bag and emptied it out on the table. She took out her math and started studying. She wanted to get this done a.s.a.p.

A few hours passed as Rory finished the last of her homework. As she closed her book and was about to put them away Lorelai walked in.

Rory kept quiet as her mother walked into the living room. She paused and looked at Rory; a somewhat sad smile appeared on her face. She hated being on a non-speaking term with Rory. It was not only annoying but it was stressful having to think up a thousand ways to avoid bumping into her daughter during the day. She sighed and did what she knew she had to do. She walked up to Rory and sat right beside her and began to speak silently. "I'm sorry." She apologized.

Rory shook her head, but didn't say anything. She had her lips pressed together tightly as they formed a straight line. Lorelai could see the anger rising in Rory's face, but she didn't want to have her daughter hold this grudge on her forever so she wasn't going to give up. She continued.

"Look I know I just lost my cool mom mode, but if you give me another chance I am almost certain I can find it."

Rory looked away. She wasn't in the mood for jokes. She wasn't in the mood for anything. Everything seemed to be going wrong today and she couldn't stand it. She did nothing to deserve this.

"Rory, you can't be upset over the fact that I mentioned you like Jess—"

"I DON'T LIKE JESS!" Rory exclaimed, as her face grew red. She put her hands down on the sofa and pushed herself up as she attempted to make a dramatic exit. Although she didn't succeed, Lorelai pulled her back down and looked Rory in the eyes.

"If you don't like Jess then tell me why you went to see him in your uniform and why you would miss school doing so. I mean Saturday would have been a much better time." Rory gave her a spectacle look. "Fine forget the Saturday thing. But I must warn you if you direct this towards me, and how I shooed him off, I will be forced to stick with my first assumption. So give me the real reason."

Rory stayed silent as she looked at the floor, a dust-bunny seemed to grab her interest. She didn't reply.

"You're not going to talk huh?" Lorelai asked, but it sounded more like a statement. "I am not leaving this spot until I get a reasonable answer. I need this fight to be over or I will ban you from ever seeing Lane again."

Rory sighed angrily. "You think this is a joke. Everything is a joke with you! I mean can't you have one normal conversation without having to squeeze in you lame jokes!" Rory inhaled the exhaled. "Even when you wanted an explanation less then 10 seconds ago, you managed to add in your little unfunny "Saturday" thing." Rory yelled.

Lorelai frowned, and looked down at the dust-bunny Rory seemed to have abandoned while giving her angry speech. Suddenly she spoke out. "I hate fighting with you. I hate not being able to concentrate because I know that somewhere right at that moment you were thinking about how much you hate me and how much I upset you and how you should never forgive me. I know this because I always used to do that with my mother and I don't want our relationship to turn out like my mother's and my own. I want us always to be best friends. That's why I want to avoid these long term fights and get this one out of our way so we can forget about it." Lorelai said answering many unasked questions in the process.

"Forget what? How you thought that—"

"This is stupid! We are fighting because I may of thought you had a little teeny tiny crush on Jess, God! Did you prove me wrong! I am sorry, and that's it. Period. If you wont accept that then to bad. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What more do you want from me Geez!" _And ladies and gentlemen we call that a spaz._

Rory couldn't help but crack a smile at her mother's spaz attack. "I know mom." She said.

"Fine! Be that way." Lorelai said and stood up, but then she realized what Rory said, and blushed. She sat back down beside Rory and looked at her sympathetically. "I hate fighting with you babe."

"Me to mom." Rory smiled wider. "You know I never once thought about the fact that I hated you nor that I would never forgive you, actually I thought quite the contrary. I wanted this fight to be over because of how much I loved you although I am to stubborn to admit it." Rory pointed out.

"Yes, you are definitely my child." Lorelai smiled. "I am just the same way Hun, I am the most stubborn person you'll ever meet." Lorelai's smile faded as she asked Rory seriously, "So? Fight over?"

Rory pondered it for a moment just to worry Lorelai then she nodded. "Oh yeah, fight over." Rory said and Lorelai lunged for her hugging her tightly, surpassing the limit. "Can't breathe." Rory managed to chock out.

Lorelai let her loose. "Sorry." She smiled again. "You realize Sookie's wedding is this Sunday and if we don't hurry up and buy our jewelry and shoes we will be screwed."

"I thought Sookie was taking care of that."

"Well, she was…but…"

"What did you do?"

"I didn't want her to buy us retarded stuff so I may of…"

"I cannot believe you."

"I had to." Lorelai defended herself.

"Mom, you didn't tell her you didn't like her style did you?"

"No. I like Sookie's style, just……… not for us." Lorelai corrected.

"Oh my." Rory shook her head.

"Hey! You're lucky I let her pick out our dresses young lady."

"Yes, but you went shopping with her and you _made _her buy those ones."

"Rory, if it makes things any better, we get to use her credit card."

"Are you sure I am your daughter."

"Positive." Lorelai said as she hugged Rory again. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Yeah." Rory said and hugged her back. Suddenly reality hit Rory. "Oh my God."

"What?" Lorelai asked as she pulled away.

"It's eight o'clock."

"Yeah so…………Oh God!"

"They're going to kill us."

"No not you, you're there favorite. I'm the one they hate."

"Mom. Common."

"Fine, hurry and get ready."

"What do I wear?"

"I don't know. Wing it."

"Well your great help." Rory yelled as she ran into her bedroom to get changed. She pulled out black dress pants and her light blue cardigan, with a white shirt underneath. She brushed her hair and put on some earrings. Then she grabbed her black shoes and headed out into the living room. "Mom! Hurry!" she called out.

"I'm coming." Lorelai said as she ran down the stairs, in a burgundy skirt and a white burgundy flowered shirt. She had her black boots on and she had left her wavy hair down. She grabbed her purse and both herself and Rory's coat as they left the house.

Half way through their car ride to Hartford, Lorelai's cell phone began to wring inside her purse. "Rory, can you get that." She asked glancing at Rory swiftly.

Rory nodded and searched her mother's purse for the phone. "Hello?" Rory asked into the phone.

"Why hello Rory?" Emily asked surprised to hear Rory's voice on the other line.

"Hi grandma." Rory greeted sweetly.

"Why in the world do you have your Lorelai's phone?"

"Oh, we're on the road, and you know how cautious mom is while driving so she asked me to answer it for her." Rory explained.

"Oh." Emily replied blankly. "So you will not be coming for dinner tonight?"

"Actually we're on our way."

"Rory let me talk to Lorelai please."

"Okay, sure." Rory said and handed the phone to Lorelai.

Lorelai who didn't want to talk to her mother yet, started making weird faces trying to try to avoid it, but Rory stuck the phone to Lorelai's ear. "Greetings fellow mother." Lorelai said emotionlessly.

"Lorelai! Do you realize it is 8:30!" Emily yelled into the phone.

"Yes mom, we lost track of time, we're just pulling into the driveway right now."

"Do you enjoy being tardy Lorelai?"

"Mom, we're here now. Please let's just end this." Lorelai begged.

"Alright. Goodbye."

"Or hello." Lorelai said sarcastically and hung up. Then she glared at Rory who gave her a skeptical look.

"What? I didn't do anything." Rory said putting her hands up innocently.

"Honey, do not ever, EVER, let me talk to my mother again while driving. Kapeesh?"

"Kapeesh." Rory said nodding.

"Good, now that we got that cleared up, lets enter hell and meet the devil herself."

"Yay!" Rory said sarcastically.

They approached the door and froze. Lorelai looked at Rory and smirked. "It's your turn." She said wickedly.

"My turn for what?"

Lorelai gestured with her head towards the door and Rory shook her head. "That." Lorelai said.

"No. Last time we came it was my turn and you said that the next week you would wring it. But we didn't go because they were in Boston, for a meeting grandpa had, therefore you missed your week so now you must wring it."

"Hun, I did not miss my week I just rescheduled it until my next turn, so now it is your turn so wring the bell."

"Mom, it's your turn." Rory argued.

"I will ban you from Luke's if you do not wring the over designed doorbell."

Rory crossed her arms in front of her and stood her ground. "Nope." She said shaking her head.

"Common, for your own flesh and blood."

"No."

"Please."

"Let me think about it for a minute…hmm…um…err…No!"

"Rory!" Lorelai whined giving Rory puppy dog eyes.

"Those might work on Luke but they never work on me. Remember I have the same power."

"Urgh Rory just wring the stupid bell."

"I don't understand why you must always make a big fuss about the doorbell, I mean you just talked to grandma on the phone so it's no big deal." Rory explained.

"I am not wringing the bell."

"Fine, but neither am I."

"But Rory, you like grandma and grandpa."

"So?"

"So wring the bell."

"No. Plus you like them to."

"No sweets, I do not like them."

"You love them."

"Just love them, in a weird twisted way."

"Hence forth you like then."

"Nope."

"You cannot dislike someone and love them at the same time."

"Yes you can."

"No mom you cannot."

"Oh yeah. Well right now, at this exact moment I really don't like you, but you know I love you more then shoe shopping."

"Well…now is an exception."

"No sweetheart it's not."

"It doesn't make sense."

"Honey, I was reading this book, but I don't remember the title but a guy was telling his daughter something like this '_you are so lucky I love you so much because I really don't like you.' _So if an author who probably graduated from high school thinks it makes sense it must make sense." Lorelai elaborated.

"Not that." Rory rolled her eyes.

"Then what?"

"The fact the we are standing outside in the chilly weather discussing like and love."

"It's summertime Rory. It's not that cold."

"Yes it is. I am freezing."

"Well it's your fault you know."

"How?"

"You won't wring the doorbell."

"I am not wringing it. It is your turn so you will wring it."

"I am not wringing it."

"Yes you are." Rory said growing annoyed.

"No I am not."

"Mom…" Rory whined this time.

"If you don't wring it I will let Sookie choose your shoes for the wedding." Lorelai warned.

Rory's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

"That's worse then banning me from Luke's." Rory said sadly. "I'll look like a clown." She whined.

"I know."

"Fine!" Rory said and rang the doorbell.

And maid answered and she looked new. "Hello." She said shyly turning bright red.

"Hello." Rory greeted.

"Hi. Have you got a name?" Lorelai asked making the maid's cheeks turn burgundy.

"Yes." She answered looking at the floor.

"Oh, well care to share?" Lorelai tried again.

She looked up, on the verge of tears. "Actually you know what, it's ok, we don't really need to know. Um, here you can just take our coats." Rory said reassuringly and the maid just nodded and took their coats as she ran off.

Rory and Lorelai both exchanged a look and entered the living room where they found Richard and Emily having a profound conversation. Lorelai coughed to make both herself and Rory's presence known.

Emily's head shot up as did Richards and they both stood up. "What took you so long?" Emily intrigued.

"Hello to you to mom." Lorelai said sarcastically. "Hi dad."

"Good evening grandma. Rory said and hugged her. She walked up to Richard and hugged him to. "Good evening grandpa."

"Hello Rory." They both said while being hugged by their granddaughter. But only Richard greeted Lorelai properly saying, "Hello Lorelai."

"I'm sorry we're late, but me and mom sort of had a little misunderstanding at the door." Rory explained. "Mom seems to have a little doorbellathopia."

"Drookellakopia?" Emily asked her brow furrowing.

"Nevermind her mom, she is lacking coffee." Lorelai said glaring at Rory.

"For heavens sake Lorelai, Rory should not be drinking coffee at this age." Emily exclaimed.

"I was kidding mom, Rory would never ever gulp down a sip of that terrible liquid". '_I cannot believe I just said that', _Lorelai thought.

"That is very good Rory. You know caffeine can become very addicting and can cause hyper active behavior." Richard said.

"Oh I know grandpa." Rory said nodding in agreement, deciding to play along to her mother's lie.

"That is good to hear." Both he and Emily said in unison. After that they fell into a long silence. Every once in a while Emily would look at Rory and open her mouth to say something, but then just close it and look away. Rory's curiosity started to pick on her nerves because what Emily wanted to ask but never got to it.

Finally Richard spoke out, causing everyone's head to shoot up. "So, Lorelai how is it going at the inn?" Usually it would have been Emily to ask about work, but ironically enough Richard did this time.

"Oh." Lorelai said surprised. "It's going good." Suddenly Lorelai's cellular phone began to wring for the second time that night. She excused herself and went into her fathers study, then picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey honey."

"Hi Sookie, is anything wrong?" Lorelai asked growing worried by Sookies phoning.

"Oh no sweetie, it's just that I remembered that tonight was your 'Friday night dinners' with the Gilmore's and since _my cousin Carl canceled I have two empty seats _at the wedding _Anyone else you wanna invite?_

"Nope, I've got me, myself, and I, so it's all good."

"_What about Emily and Richard?" _Sookie asked hopefully.

"_Emily and Richard who?" _Lorelai's worried felling returned.

"_Your Emily and Richard." _Sookie answered oblivious to Lorelai's worried voice.

Lorelai gulped. _"Oh, Sookie, you are way too sweet._ But it's okay, maybe next time._" _

"I am not going to get married again Lorelai."

"You know what I meant, it's really okay."

"_What? She went to all that trouble to help me plan the first phase of the wedding." _

"_The crazy phase of the wedding." _Lorelai corrected.

"_It was still sweet and I appreciated it. I mean, if it wasn't for your mother, I never would've settled on the color pink." _

"_Why is that?" _Lorelai asked skeptically.

"_Well, I wanted yellow and she said no." _Sookie explained.

"_Oh, with logic like that." S_he replied sarcastically.

"_Come on, just ask her. I want you to." _

Lorelai sighed, _"Okay, I'll ask her." _

"_Good." _Sookie said felling accomplished. "Ok sweetie, I'll call you tomorrow for more wedding details. Bye."

"Bye." Lorelai said glumly then hung up. She sighed once more then she walked back into the living room a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Who was it mom?" Rory asked as Lorelai sat down beside her.

"Um……P……pp……Peg." Lorelai lied.

"Who now?"

"The um…she is……um…the new gardener for the inn." And the lies just keep coming on.

"I didn't know you had a new gardener, plus why would she call you?"

"_Huh. You know what I just realized? Oy is the funniest word in the entire world_." Lorelai said trying to avoid the question. Although Emily, Richard and Rory were giving her _'are you mentally challenged' _looks.

"_Huh_?"

"_I mean, think about it. You never hear the word oy and not smile. Impossible. Funny, funny word." _Lorelai went on…

"_Oh, dear God." Emily exclaimed. _

"_Poodle is another funny word." _

"Oh, Please Lorelai." Emily begged.

"_In fact, if you put oy and poodle together in the same sentence, you'd have a great new catch phrase, you know? Like, oy with the poodles already. So from now on, when the perfect circumstances arise, we will use our favorite new catch phrase." …_And on and on

"_Oy with the poodles already." _Rory agreed to the whole 'changing the subject' thing, but she was going to question her about it in the car.

"_I'm telling you, it's knocking 'whatcha talking 'bout, Willis?' right out of first place." _

"_Lorelai, for God's sake, be quiet." _Emily ordered.

"_Dinner's ready, Mrs. Gilmore." _The shy maid returned.

"_Bless you, Inga. _Is the table set?" Emily questioned.

"So that was her name." Lorelai whispered to Rory, who just rolled her eyes.

"_Yes, ma'am." _She answered, then eyed Lorelai nervously, blushed, then walked away.

"_Shall we?" _

"_Okay." _Rory agreed then walked into the dining room. They all got seated in their usual seats then began to eat.

"Excuse me for a minute Emily, but I just remembered that I have an important telephone call to make." He said then left to make the call.

"_Oh, hey Mom, uh, _that reminds me,_ Sookie wanted to know if you and Dad would like to come to her wedding." _Lorelai admitted.

"_Really?" _Emily asked bewildered.

"_Yeah, it's gonna be great. Small, low key, but fun. She's catering it herself so the food'll be fantastic, and you'd get to see me and Rory walk down the aisle in two of the least obnoxious bridesmaid dresses ever created." _Lorelai continued.

"_Well, that sounds very nice. When is it?" _

"Sunday."

"Sunday?"Emily asked in disbelief.

"_Yes. _

"_The wedding is in less then two days?" _

"_Yes." _She answered wondering where this was going.

"_So this is a pity invite?" _Emily said, finally getting her answer.

"_A what?" _

"_Someone canceled at the last minute and rather than being left with two empty seats, Sookie asked you to ask us. How nice." _Emily said sarcastically.

"_That's not what happened." _Lorelai defended her friend.

"_No, that's quite all right. Far be it from me to be invited with the first batch of actual wanted guests. This is just fine." _Emily exclaimed.

"_Mom, it's not a pity invite. She really wants you to come." _Lorelai tried to get her mother to believe but she failed.

"_Is that so?" _

"_Yes, that's so." _Lorelai mocked.

"_Where's our invitation?" _Emily asked.

"_What?" _She was now getting annoyed.

"_Our invitation. I mean she must've at least given you an invitation to give us." _

"_She thought it would be more special coming directly from me."_

"_So she was out of invitations. I never felt so special."_

"_Mom, she wants you to come. There's no reason to be insulted here." _

"_I guess I should be thrilled that I didn't just get a call from the road as you were on your way there."_

"_Do not turn this into something that it's not." _Oh yeah Lorelai was definitely getting upset.

"_Do we have a choice between chicken or fish, or at this point do we just bring our own?" _

"_Stop." _Lorelai begged.

"_Perhaps she would also like us to pick up some extra ice along the way, or help out parking the cars."_

"_Mom, look, isn't Rory pretty?" _

"_Apologies all around. I could not get Adamson off the phone." _Richard said as he took his seat.

"_Dad, glad you're back. We're just talking about how pretty Rory is. Big eyes, baby. Give him the Bambi face." _Rory did as she was told.

"_Oh, Rory gets lovelier every day." _Richard complimented.

"_Why, thank you, Grandpa." _Rory said smiling.

"_Oh Richard?" _Emily interrupted.

"Oh my God."_ Lorelai mumbled._

"_Guess what Lorelai just told me?"_

"_What?" _

"_We are invited to Sookie's wedding." _

"_Oh, how nice. When is it?" _Richard asked.

"Sunday."Emily replied.

"_Oh, so it's a pity invite." _

"_Ha!" _Emily exclaimed looking at Lorelai proudly.

"_Oy with the poodles already." _Rory just laughed and enjoyed her meal.

After the long annoying supper the Gilmore Girls had just endured, they headed straight home. They passed by Luke's and Rory saw out of the corner of her eyes, a dark teenaged boy go behind the counter, she turned her head swiftly and looked around as fast as she could. She frowned when she didn't see anyone and looked away. Lorelai noticed her expression but didn't comment, she knew what Rory was thinking.

Meanwhile in the diner, Jess stood up. He was on his hands and knees a minute ago because he had noticed the saltshaker was there, so he bent down to pick it up. But it rolled away so he crawled after it to grab it. Little did he know that Rory had seen him, but only thought it was a hallucination.

They entered the 'crap shack' and Rory headed straight for her room. She began to get ready for bed when she heard her cellular phone begin to wring. She searched through her purse until she found it. She checked her caller ID, but didn't recognize the number. She immediately smiled thinking it was _him_ and picked up. "Hello?" She asked jumpy.

"Rory?" answered a familiar voice.

Rory sighed and her smile immediately disappeared. It wasn't him. "Hi Paris."

"Hi."

"Hi." Rory mimicked Paris' joyful greeting.

"How are you Rory Gilmore?"

"Fine."

"That is fantastic, just as I feel at the moment, fantastic."

"Is there anything you wanted?"

"Not really…but…I just called everyone from the drama club and convinced then to vote for us!" Paris exclaimed.

"Everyone in the drama club. Paris there are like thirty people." Rory exclaimed in disbelief.

"So? I got all of their votes, isn't that good?"

"It's great." Rory said sarcastically.

"I thought you wanted to win." Paris asked confused.

"I do."

"No you don't, your all discouraged that I got the drama club's votes."

"No, I Do."

"Mm-Hmm." Paris mumbled.

"I really do! It's just I thought you were………well………I………nevermind."

"I was what?"

"Forget it."

"No, no tell me." Paris encouraged.

"No, it's nothing you really wouldn't care."

"Yes I would, we're best friends." Rory smiled at that.

"You don't have to, it's really no big deal." Rory pushed.

"I have never heard of anyone who is depressed about winning an election, so it must be a big deal."

"You know now that I think about it, it really isn't. I was just expecting someone else to call."

"Ah, your father?"

"No actually."

"Who?"

"Paris…" Rory whined.

"Rory, in order to hold a friendship together, you must be honest with one another, so fill me in."

"It's stupid."

"Impossible, unless it's Tristan."

Rory laughed. "No, not Tristan."

"Then who?"

"J…Je…Jess…" Rory said barely above a whisper.

"Who?" Paris asked, she didn't hear what Rory said correctly.

"Jess! Okay? Happy?" Rory yelled.

"Ecstatic." Paris smirked. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would expect him to call? Oh I understand, you and Dean broke up." Paris pondered out loud.

"No, no we didn't. It's just that Jess moved back to New York and I……I……really wish he didn't." She stuttered.

"He is extremely good looking isn't he?"

"That has nothing to do with the subject Paris…"

"Oh, you agree. Admit it."

"Paris, this is—"

"Just say it Gilmore." Paris ordered.

Rory sighed. "Fine, he is… but still, I have Dean."

"So? There is no rule against thinking another guy is attractive when you have a boyfriend."

Rory stayed silent for a minute then admitted something indirectly that she just realized, "Well, there is a rule about liking someone when you have a boyfriend."

"Yes, what was the point of Th…Ohhhhh!" Paris said understanding what she meant. "Wow. How long have you known?"

"I mean, well I know I felt something…err…different when he was around, but I think I just figured out that I really liked him."

"Oh. Well I guess he's hard to resist isn't he?" Paris stated.

"Paris can we please talk about something else other then Jess. I'm having a real hard time getting used to the fact that I have feelings for another guy.

"I guess this is getting serious isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Nothing, you don't want to talk about this anymore right?"

Rory sighed. "Right."

"Okay well, I have some homework to catch up on, see you Monday."

"Yeah, sure."

"Bye." Paris said and before Rory could reply she hung up.

Rory looked around the room reluctantly, then her eyes landed on her bookshelf. She remembered the first time Jess had come over and looked at her bookshelf. The first book he pulled out was one he had read forty times. He even _borrowed _it and wrote some notes in the margins. Rory let a few tears slip, even if they hadn't had a relationship together; she definitely felt a bond between the two. A strong bond. She jumped off her bed and grabbed the book. She opened it and began reading, not the printed words but the curved writing.

In the kitchen Lorelai sat down her head in her hands. She had overheard Rory and Paris' conversation and she hated the fact that her baby had a crush on the ex town hoodlum. She sighed and walked upstairs her head down and her shoulders slumped.

**A/N: **Hey! Well this is my chapter. I am so sorry it took me forever to update but I had so much going on and so little time to do everything. The saying "SO much to do; so little times" sort of comes to mind. Well I hope you enjoyed this one and I that you wasted your time for nothing. Well please leave me a review and tell me what you thought…doesn't matter if its bad. And I'm sorry again to **Shinyobjectslover.**

**-Chrissy♥**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Hey. I know I took forever to update again, but school is driving me insane. I'm trying though. Actually, I've been working on this chapter almost everyday, but I only get about 15 minutes, so I barely have enough time to write a page. But, I will not forget this story.

Although, there is a little problem: I have to mention that I totally forgot about Chris and I didn't put him into my story. I'm sorry, but about his whole Lorelai/Chris appearing thing, let's just pretend it never happened. He will be at the wedding but actually, Luke will be accompanying Lorelai to it, in a weird way. So Please read and then leave some love…or hate whichever you choose. Here is Chapter 7.

**Disclaimer: **Yep, I own the whole series. (Sigh) I wish.

_Chapter 7_

Finally the morn of the wedding had arrived. The sunrays made their way through the thin curtains Lorelai had pulled shut. They hit her face, causing her to stir for a good while before finally giving in and getting up. She checked her watch and she couldn't believe it was really that early.

She went into the bathroom to shower and get ready. When she had finally finished she headed downstairs to Rory's bedroom and stuck her ear to the door to see if she had already awoken. When she didn't hear anything she entered the room silently. She walked up to Rory's sleeping form and lightly nudged her. When she didn't awake Lorelai leaned close to her ear and whispered something over and over again.

Rory finally turned over onto her stomach and stuck the pillow over her head and whispered something incoherent. Lorelai shook her head at her daughter's early morning behavior. She pulled the pillow away from Rory's grasp, followed by her blanket. When Rory curled herself into a little ball, not seeming to care, Lorelai walked up to her alarm clock and put the volume on maximum. She timed it so that it would wring in another thirty seconds. She smirked and exited the room dropping the blanket and pillowcase on the floor right beside the door.

She entered the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. A second later she heard the alarm blast through the kitchen, and let's just say it was extremely loud that Lorelai couldn't even hear Rory yell from shock.

A couple minutes later Rory emerged from her bedroom fully clothed. She walked past Lorelai and gave her a deep withering stare. Lorelai just shrugged and laughed lightly. Rory entered the kitchen again a half hour later and her hair was wet.

"Look, if it isn't the fruit of my womb!" Lorelai greeted.

"Morning." Rory replied groggily.

"Tired huh sweets?"

"It's six thirty, I'm allowed to be tired."

"Honey, you know very well that Sookie will be getting up soon, if she isn't already up and let me tell you, when a big event, like say, a wedding, comes up, Sookie tends to have outbursts especially if it is her own. And in order to prevent them we must be there and comfort her? Is that clear?" Lorelai rambled.

"As clear as mud." Rory mumbled.

"Good." Lorelai said as she poured Rory a cup of coffee in a thermos. "Ok well, no that we're both ready let's go see Sookie."

"Can we stop by at Luke's for breakfast?" Rory asked putting on her best puppy dog eyes.

"Well, I guess we can stop by for a— wait."

"What? Wait for what?"

"We can't."

"Why?" Rory whined.

"Because the hairdresser lady said she was going to be there at seven on the button and Sookie wouldn't be to pleased if—"

"We arrived late." Rory continued. "I suppose your right."

"I'm always right."

Rory snorted. "Yeah, and I'm queen of the world."

Meanwhile at the apartment above the diner Luke was searching through his closet trying to find an appropriate suit to wear to Sookie's wedding later on that afternoon. He had three different suits, each one a different shade of black, actually if you took the time to examine the lightest one, you would surely say it was gray.

Luke groaned, trying to figure out which one to wear. Jess heard him and looked at him, while shooting him deadly glares from his bed. Luke's not so pleasant morning noises had awoken Jess.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jess asked while rubbing his eyes.

"Trying to do the tango." Luke replied sarcastically. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"So many tempting comebacks come to mind." Jess said to no one in particular.

Luke groaned again, a little lower this time, but it was still audible. "Geez, go to bed." Luke ordered.

"I would, but with you groaning every three seconds it tends be a little challenging."

"Fine, then go shower or something. Just don't sit around looking like a complete moron."

"I look like a moron?" Jess asked skeptically. Luke shot him a glare, and Jess put his hands up in surrender. "Geez, relax man."

"I swear to God Jess—" Luke started, but Jess cut him off before Luke would say something bad.

"Why are you trying to pick out a suit anyways? It's not like you own a fancy restaurant down there."

Luke sighed. He might as well tell him. "Today is Sookie's weeding at the inn."

"Lorelai's inn?"

"Yeah."

"Uh huh. Still doesn't explain why you're trying to pick out a suit."

"How can it not explain why I am trying to pick out a suit?" Luke asked obviously annoyed.

"You're actually going to attend that whack-job ceremony?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Its in Stars Hollow, and everything is Stars Hollow is sappy and joyful."

"Whatever."

"It's worse then those town meetings." Jess pointed out, completely stunned.

"She invited me, so I found it respectful to actually show up."

"You're kidding me right?"

"Why would I be kidding?"

"I never saw you as the type of guy who would actually want to go to stuff like that."

"I attend the town meetings." Luke defended himself.

"Out of force." Jess interjected. "Plus, it's a wedding, the only wedding I ever saw you attending what the one when you were actually the groom. I mean, if you ever stop being a bachelor, some people aren't that lucky." Jess teased.

"Shut up!"

"Common Luke, you cannot be serious."

"Well I am."

"What's the real reason?"

"I told you the real reason."

"Sureee." Jess replied sarcastically.

"Jess, if your going to use your smart-ass comments you should have never come back." Luke said harshly. Jess looked at him but didn't say anything; suddenly Luke began to get worried.

But when Jess smirked he felt relieved although Luke didn't show him that. "Your going because Lorelai will be there, in her pretty dress." Jess sing-songed.

"Ok, that's enough!"

"Ah, that's it. I see."

"Jess, I'm going because Sookie invited me. Period."

"Okie Dokie." Jess said the smirk still playing on his face. "Have fun." Jess added as he headed toward the bathroom.

"Oh no. Hold on there James Dean." Jess spun around and looked at him.

"What? I know I have to run the diner. I Sorta got that part uncle _Duke_."

"Don't ever call me that do you understand!"

"Sorry, Lucas."

"I will kill you, I swear to God I'll kill you." Luke yelled.

"Ouch uncle Luke, but think how pointless and boring your life would be without lil' ol' me?"

"Do you honestly want me to answer that?" Luke asked.

"Well now that we got that all out in the open…" Jess said as he pointed to the door.

"No, it's not that." Luke said.

"Then what?"

"I was just wondering, since Sookie gave me the invitation before you left to New York your name was also on the invitat—"

"No way. No!" Jess said and walked to the bathroom shuting the door and locking it.

"Common! Jess! It will be nice! I have an extra suit! Well, actually two, but still…" Luke called out after him, but Jess didn't answer. Luke knew Lorelai would hate him for saying what he was about to say, but there was no way he was going to the wedding alone. "Rory will be there. She's actually the bridesmaid!"

Luke waited for a bit until Jess answered back, never opening the door. "So?" Jess asked bitterly.

Luke sighed of defeat, if he wouldn't go for Rory's sake, he wouldn't go at all. "Fine. If you would rather work at the diner, then go to a wedding with me and still get paid, it's your choice."

"What?" Jess yelled.

"I'll pay you to go with the wedding with me even if you don't work at the diner!"

Jess remained silent for a moment. "Whatever." Jess replied and then entered the shower. Luke groaned one more time, going back to his 'suit-picking'.

Back at Sookie's, Rory and Lorelai were getting their hair done. The hairstyle wasn't something big, it was just nice and simple, just the way they liked it. The hairdresser was curling Lorelai's hair while Rory just sat there waiting for her hair to dry up.

"Rory?" Lorelai asked.

"Yea?" Rory replied.

"You've been really quiet ever since we got to Sookie's. Are you alright honey?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be, it's Sookie's big day." She answered casually.

"Okay, but if anything is bothering you, just say so." Lorelai reassured.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks."

Before Lorelai could reply the hairdresser cut in. "Your hair is finished Ms. Gilmore. Would you like anything more?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No it's really beautiful. Thank you." (**A/n: **I know Lorelai's hair was straight during the wedding, but I just wanted it to be curly in my story, don't ask why, I'm weird that way ;p).

"Your welcome." She then converted her eyes to look at Rory. "Are you ready Ms. Gilmore?"

"Just call me Rory please, and yes I think I am." Rory replied.

"Then let's get to work!" She answered excited. "How would you like it?"

"Um, wavy would be nice." (**A/n: **Same goes for Rory. )

"I know exactly what to do!" She replied and took out the hair dryer and some curlers.

Half an hour later the Gilmore Girls had their hair done and it was time to get ready for make up. But the woman who was going to be applying the make up hadn't arrived so they went into Sookie's bedroom to talk to her.

As she heard the door open Sookie's turned around from her mirror as her head shot up. She smiled at who had entered the bedroom. "Hey you guys." Sookie greeted sweetly.

"Hey honey." Lorelai said walking up to her and giving her a big hug. "You look nicer and nicer every time I see you in that dress." She complemented.

"Hi Sookie." Rory said mimicking Lorelai's greeting.

"Hey, thanks."

"Do you like the new due?" Lorelai joked. "Rory and I look like we could—"

"Stop right there mom." Rory cut in, before in would become inappropriate.

"Sorry, so Sook? Huh, huh? Aren't they sexy?" Rory rolled her eyes at her mother's immature antics.

"Yes, your hairstyles are very sexy."

"I'm so happy you settled for this hairstylist, and not the one my mother recommended. I remember this one time, a few years back, we had to attend one of my mother's friends cousins aunt's weddings, whom of which I have never heard about. Anyway she got us this Greek hairstylist who wouldn't stop comparing Rory to Audrey Hepburn. She spent the whole time discussing that movie, um, Breakfast at Tiphany's. Oh my God it was so annoying and our hairstyles looked like they were wrapped around squash." Lorelai rambled. "Oh and she would always miss at least a word in every stupid sentence like 'Oh, oh, no, this no good.'" Lorelai mimicked her Greek accent. "I mean hello? Where is the "This_ is_ no good." Geez, learn English, oh and she would always slur her s's like—"

"Mom, alright we got the point. Your annoying Sookie." Rory interrupted.

Lorelai mock-huffed. She smiled at Sookie and noticed that she wasn't smiling.

"What's wrong honey?"

"Oh, hey, nothing." She said putting on an obvious fake smile.

"Sookie, I've known you forever, and after my long rants you always crack a smile. What's up?"

She looked up at Lorelai through teary eyes. "Nothing, just that…you are so great, both of you."

"Hey, calm down there." Lorelai said once again concerned. "There in no need to cry over us. I mean if you think about it Rory and I are extremely pretty and talented and bright but if you really look at our weird mother-daughter ways we aren't all that great."

"It's not only that." She mumbled, hoping they wouldn't comprehend.

"Not only that huh? Well what else could it be Rory's and my—" Lorelai stopped talking when she noticed Sookie wasn't really in the mood for jokes. "What else then Sook, you can say anything." She said seriously.

"Nothing." She shook her head while wiping her tears. They both shot her disbelieving looks so she sighed and told them; "I'm so happy you came up here, because I'm really scared."

"Oh honey, 'bout what?"

"I can't help but feel like he's having second thoughts."

"Who? Jackson?" Rory asked.

"Yes." She said with an exaggerated nod. "What if he figures out that I'm not beautiful enough for him or I'm not the model type women every man would want to date, or if my hair is to orangey and curly, or if my eyes are to close together. Oh my God, what if he thinks in to fat!"

"Whoa there, slow down. There is definitely no way he would ever think any of that crap you just said, he loves you more then that stupid produce store, and sweetie that's a lot of love." Lorelai said trying to lighten the mood.

"Are you sure?"

"More then anything."

"Yeah, Sookie, he loves you a lot, I can see it every time he looks at you." Rory chimed in.

"Your not just saying this to make me feel better?"

"Of course not, Jackson is probably doing…trying to do cartwheels, and you know why?" Lorelai asked rhetorically. Sookie just shook her head.

"Because he's marrying someone great." Rory finished.

"Oh, I'm not that great." Sookie said, blushing.

"Yes you are and you deserve this most."

"I love you guys." Sookie said. She got up and hugged them both, subconsciously surpassing the limit.

"Alright Sookie, to much love, save it for the honeymoon." Lorelai chocked out.

"Oops." She apologized, forgetting her previous doubts. "Lorelai what time is it?"

"Um it's actually," she looked at her watch, "Ten fifty-six."

"Oh no. The wedding in is another 2 hours! Hurry go get ready, go, go, go! Oh my God! I still didn't do my hair!" And then her outburst began as she pushed them out the door.

"Alright, alright we're going, we're going." Lorelai called as they went downstairs for make-up. As they entered the living room, they noticed a woman. They only assumed she was going to be the makeup artist, so they took a seat, parallel from eachother. "All this wedding commotion makes me want to get married and puke." Lorelai declared half serious.

"You will some day. I know." Rory promised.

"Puke?"

"Mom. Seriously, did you really think I was referring to puke?" Lorelai smiled and shook her head. "You'll get married someday." Rory repeated.

"Yeah I hope so."

"You will." Rory said a little louder.

"I don't think so."

"Yeah you will. Someday. You shouldn't have doubts mom."

"I just haven't found _him _yet. You know 'the guy'."

"Yeah, but you never know, eh, it could be the last person you expect." Rory started dropping hints, hoping she would understand.

"Chris. No, I don't think me and Chris could ever you know…um… hit it off." Rory sighed. She didn't get it.

"I didn't mean dad." Rory clarified.

"Who did you mean then?" Lorelai said giving her a skeptical look.

"I can't tell you that. You're going to have to figure it out on your own."

"Rory, I'm the mother here. I should be giving the whole 'you'll find the right guy' speech, this is so backwards."

Rory smiled wickedly. "To bad."

"Common tell me anything." Lorelai pleaded.

"Okay. Fine. For me, and this is me Lorelai Gilmore. Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Not Lorelai Victoria Gil—"

"My turn to cut in and say: Okay, Rory we got the point." Lorelai said mocking Rory's earlier comment.

"Sorry. Anyways, for me the right person would have to be someone who I know will always be there for me. Someone who will surprise me with good or bad, someone mysterious, yet easy enough to be able for me to understand. I don't know, someone who cares for me, but who is willing to give me the space I need. Someone who will wait until I understand how I feel and not blurt out everything they feel for me, and let me fall for him at my own pace. You know, someone spontaneous, but also safe. Something like that."

Lorelai smiled at what Rory had just said, she may have not noticed what she had just done but Lorelai did. Rory had just described Jess never using his name. Lorelai could see that, and she could see in Rory's eyes that never had any of Dean's qualities been mentioned. Lorelai didn't know Jess, but she knew that all that was about him.

But Lorelai missed something in that rant, sure she could see Jess match everything, but she didn't even bother to think about the other person who fit in the same description. Luke. Everything Rory had just said was to describe Luke and not Jess, although he did happen to squeeze his way in there. Rory said all those things for Lorelai to understand she was talking about Luke, but Lorelai saw Jess.

It was weird how they both think exactly alike yet in completely different ways. Both The Gilmore's (Lorelai & Rory) and the Diner Men (Luke & Jess).

Both sighed in unison and looked at eachother. Lorelai was the first to speak. "Where is the makeup artist?" She asked.

The lady walked up to them. "Sorry, I was just waiting for ya'll to finish. I'm sorry, I hadn't expected y'all to actually want me to start now."

"No, it's alright. Go ahead."

"I just want to say something to the younger one." She said, darting her eyes towards Rory. "Hi, I'm Kelly by the way, and I must admit you sure know how to speak very colorfully. That speech you made a second ago, really touched me."

"Thank you…um Kelly." Rory said, she hadn't thought her 'speech' was all that. Actually she thought it was just a personal way to express herself, she hadn't thought it had actually touched Kelly.

"No problem. I'm sorry though, but I didn't catch your name, I ain't all that good at remembering."

"Oh, um, I'm Rory, and this is my mother Lorelai." Rory made the introductions.

"Well, now that we got that all settled, shall we begin getting pampered?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, let's shall." Rory answered smiling.

Another hour later, the make up had been done. Lorelai had eyeliner, mascara, blush, eye shadow, and lipstick applied, and it made her look very nice. But as for Rory, she looked pretty simple although she still looked beautiful with the applied eyeliner, cover-up, blush, and lip-gloss.

They were just about ready to hit it off for the wedding; the only thing they were lacking was to put on their proper attire for the ceremony. So they both headed upstairs, back into Sookie's room, where the dresses had been hung. They found her all dressed (just like when they had first come up) and she had her hair and makeup done. She looked like their normal Sookie with a little more…bounce.

"Like I said you just keep looking nicer and nicer every time I see you in that dress." Lorelai complemented once again.

"Yeah Sook, you look great." Rory agreed.

"Thanks you two." She said smiling sincerely. "I'll be right back, I'll let you get dressed." The Gilmore girls smiled and nodded. They quickly put on their dresses and their shoes and 10 minutes later Sookie reentered the room. "You both look amazing, I was thinking about getting a photographer to take your pictures and plop them on the cover of a magazine." She kidded around.

"Not such a bad idea." Lorelai played along. "But hey that reminds me, the photographer should be here when exactly?"

"Oh, he's going to be taking our pictures at the Gazebo after the wedding and the we'll go back to the inn for the reception." Sookie explained.

"Ok great!" Lorelai said exited clapping her hands.

"Sookie? I know that we're sort of behind, but am I going deaf or did the limo just honk for us?"

"Actually the limo isn't supposed to be here until twelve o'clock."

"Sookie, sorry to burst your bubble, but sweetie it is twelve fifteen."

"You've got to be kidding me, I still don't have my shoes on. Urgh! I'm gonna be late for my own wedding!" Sookie shrieked.

Rory snickered lightly then Lorelai spoke. "Look, Jackson can wait a little longer, he has the priest up there in the altar to keep him company. So relax and put on your expensive shoes, alright?" Sookie sighed then nodded. "Now that's a good little bride." Lorelai mocked.

"Mom, I'm going to go downstairs and tell the limo driver to wait up."

"Alright Hun."

Rory nodded then headed downstairs; she noticed the limo driver was waiting in the entrance. "Hi, um, I'm Rory. I'm one of the bridesmaids. My mother, the other bridesmaid, and me will be joining Sookie in the limo, but you probably already knew that. Right, so um, Sookie has just some little last minute…um…she'll be down in a minute, she's just putting on her shoes. Alright, well. Bye." Rory said as she scurried up the stairs. "Done." She declared.

"Alrighty then. Shall we head downstairs?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah, let's get going. I can't wait to see Jackson in that quilt!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Oh me too!" Sookie agreed, with a little squeal and clap. Both Lorelai and Rory shot her a disturbed look. She lightly blushed then let them lead the way downstairs.

They entered the limo, while helping Sookie with her dress. They got seated, excited about the upcoming ceremony. "I can't believe I am going to be married, I am no longer going to be a bachelorette. I am getting married!" Sookie squealed. Lorelai and Rory both exchanged a sweet smile, and then directed all their attention to Sookie's giddy behavior.

Back at the diner, Luke was getting ready to leave. He noticed Jess was taking an order as he was putting on his black blazer. He had finally decided upon the darkest suit. He figured it suited him most. Actually he had tried to put on the middle shade of black suit, but the pants turned out to be a wee bit small, so he just settled for this one. And quite frankly I must admit this one suited him much more.

"Getting all dressed for Lorelai are we?" Jess said, startling Luke by his sudden appearance.

"Shut it, or I won't pay you!" Luke warned.

"Pardon me uncle Luke, I would of never thought Lorelai would be your weak point." He said sarcastically, trying his best to suppress a smirk.

"I swear to God I won't pay you." He warned.

"Hey, hey there. I was just trying to have a little heart-to-heart." He said putting his hands up in surrender.

"Just…go take orders, go."

"Aiy-Aiy captain." Jess said and walked away.

Luke sighed. His nephew was starting to get on his last nerve. Luke shrugged it off the decided it would be best to just forget all that for the day so he could just…enjoy the wedding in peace. He rolled his eyes as he exited the diner, not forgetting to holler at Caesar, "I'm leaving now! I won't be back until eleven so I'm gonna need you to close up!"

"Whatever you say chief!" Caesar called back, but Luke had already left.

Rory's cell phone rang as they were just getting out of the limo. She opened her miniature purse and snapped it open. "Hello?"

"Hey."

"Hi Dean, not a good time, we're just getting out of the limo."

"Oh, I was just calling to see what was the hold up."

"Well we're here now, so um, I'll see you."

"Yup. See ya soon."

"Yeah. Bye." Rory rolled her eyes at the pointless phone call, especially because it ironically rang just as she was about to enter the church.

"Hun, who was that?" Lorelai whispered as they ascended the stairs of the church.

"Dean." Rory mouthed, and Lorelai nodded for response.

As the doors to the church opened everyone stood, Rory lead the way with her large bouquet of flowers. Jackson stood at the altar a huge grin plastered on his face. Lorelai came walking in after Rory, sneaking glances at Jackson's legs, trying to suppress her giggles.

Sookie was the last to enter, a little boy holding the tail of her dress. She smiled with all her teeth showing. She was so excited and she could barely believe this was happening.

After Sookie reached the altar, the priest began with the mass. "We are gathered here today to join together…………"

Rory looked around the church, no longer paying any attention to what was going on. She scanned all the people sitting with large smiles on their faces. She noticed Dean wasn't paying attention either; his full attention was pointed towards her. She sighed, and decided that she had held her grudge long enough.

She locked eyes with him and he smiled. She smiled back, feeling kind of weird inside. It wasn't a tingly feeling of a shiver running threw her body; it was a…more like an…unforgiving/unhappy feeling. She didn't know why though, it had been over a week since _that _happened.

She looked away, and focused her attention on the soon-to-be newlyweds.

A long while later the priest asked _the _question.

"Do you, Jackson Belleville, solemnly swear take Sookie St. James as your lawfully wedded wife, through pain and suffering, to honor and to cherish all the days of your life?"

"I do." Jackson said sneaking a glance at Sookie, his grin still in place.

"And do you Sookie St. James, solemnly swear to take Jackson Belleville as your lawfully wedded husband through pain and suffering, to honor and to cherish all the days of your life?"

Sookie smiled, through teary eyes. "I do."

"You may now kiss the bride." The priest directed towards Jackson. Jackson nodded to himself, then looked at Sookie, as they both leaned in for a kiss. Everyone in the church smiled clapping their hands hysterically.

Lorelai and Rory smiled at eachother as Lorelai wrapped an arm around Rory's shoulder as they awaited the kiss to end.

They pulled apart then held hands as they walked out of the church, the two bridesmaids following not to far behind.

After they had taken all their requested pictures, they headed to the inn for the reception. The garden was beautifully filled with flowers, mostly multicolored roses. Rory spun around in a circle admiring the beautiful work until she felt to hands steady her by the shoulders.

She pulled away and looked at who it was, although she had a pretty good idea running through her head. "Dean hi." Rory greeted. Yes, she was correct, it was Dean.

"Hey." He said leaning down and lightly placing a kiss on her lips. "I've been craving on of those for a long time now."

"Well, I think you just satisfied your craving."

"Yeah I did." He nodded throwing her one of his ever so charming smiles.

"Good." Rory replied.

"So…I know I upset you last week, and you were right about that. I should have talked to you first and I should have seen if you were okay with it. I hate getting in stupid fights with you."

"Yeah." She said distantly.

"I'm really sorry, I love you."

"Yeah, I—"

"Hold that thought." Dean said as he picked up his wringing cell phone. "Hello?"

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Paris."

"How did you get this number?"

"I need to talk to Rory."

"Um, sure. Hold on." He handed the phone to Rory. "It's for you. Paris." He said.

"O…kay?" She held the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

"We got band!" Paris exclaimed.

"What?"

"_We got the band! I knew we had most of the academic clubs tied up, but band – they were the wild card 'cause believe me, if anybody's going to be truly scared of me, it's some artsy loser with a tuba wrapped around his neck." _Paris explained.

"Paris, who gave you this number? How'd you get it?"

"_Oh, relax. I won't call you on Prince William's precious phone again. I just wanted you to know that we did it, we're in, welcome to the show." _

"Alright, well, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye?" Rory said confused.

"Bye." Paris said and hung up.

"What was that about?" Dean asked as he was handed his cell phone.

"I think we won."

"You won?"

"Yeah, we won the school elections."

"That's great, congratulations."

"Yeah. I get to work with Paris, joy." She said sarcastically.

Dean chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. Rory leaned into kiss him back, but before they could touch Rory heard a loud cough. They immediately parted for eachother and Rory looked behind her. "Dad!!"

"Hey kiddo." Chris said hugging Rory back. "How ya doing?"

"Good, it's been a long time dad."

"I know, but I didn't have any time to call."

"Hey, that's no excuse." Rory said pouting.

"I know, but…I have some news."

"Oh good or bad?"

"Let's take a little walk."

"Oh, um, sure." Rory agreed. She turned to Dean who had just witnessed the whole thing. "I'll be right back, me and dad are just going to catch up."

"Alright, take all the time you need." He replied leaning down and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"See you." Rory said, following her dad up the pathway.

Lorelai was heading out form the inn; she had gone inside to grab a drink. She noticed her parents were talking to Luke, and they had him cornered. Lorelai's eyes grew as she walked over to them.

"Mom, dad. Luke? Hey." Lorelai oddly greeted.

"Hello Lorelai." Both Emily and Richard greeted in unison.

"Hey." Luke greeted as well.

"You guys decided to actually show up." Lorelai pointed out.

"Well, Sookie did invite us, so we found it polite to show up, with or without an invitation." Emily explained.

"Well, that's great. I see your having a profound conversation with Luke here."

"Oh yes. He was just telling us about his diner."

"Really? Dad you seem impressed."

"Actually I am. It always seemed like a amateur job to me, but after his description on the diner life, I stood corrected."

"Well, that's wonderful, but I'm going to need to take Luke from you guys for a while. We have some unfinished business to attend to." Lorelai said directing a little wink at Luke.

He nodded in agreement. "Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore, but this is very important."

"Very well. We will see you around. And Lorelai I would very much like to talk to you I'm a little matter of time."

"I just can't wait." Lorelai said swinging her arm, her hand curled up into a fist.

"Goodbye mother. Have fun at the reception. See ya dad."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Lorelai and Luke walked about 10 meters away before Luke spoke out. "Thank you, they wouldn't stop asking me about the 'diner life'. I swear one more question and I would never work at that diner again."

"Well, it's a good thing I saved the day, because otherwise I wouldn't get to have anymore famous Luke-coffee."

"Whatever." Luke said rolling his eyes. "Oh, I have to tell you something."

"Ok, what?"

"Um, Jess moved back."

"Jess? Jess Mariano? Jess, I'm a rebel without a cause Jess?"

"The one and only."

"Wow. Does Rory know?"

"I don't think so."

"Wow."

"So where have you and Rory been, I haven't seen you guys at the diner for over a week."

"Yeah, um, me and Rory got into a fight over…Jess actually… and so we didn't leave the house for like the week, minus work and Chilton."

"Oh."

"Yeah." After that a silence fell upon the two but Lorelai wouldn't let it last. "Let's go see how the two newlyweds are doing huh?"

"Good idea." Luke agreed as they walked towards them.

"So? How have you been?" Rory asked Christopher as they were walking down the pathway.

"I'm doing good. I really miss you guys though." Chris said, draping an arm around Rory's shoulders.

"We miss you to dad, you're almost never around."

"Yeah, but there's no need to rub it in." He pointed out half serious.

"Sorry, you know I didn't mean it that way."

"Yeah, I do." He said with a little nod. "Look, enough small talk, I have some news." Chris said sounding antsy.

"Oh, I forgot. Um, ok shoot."

"Well, you remember Sherry right?"

"How could I forget?" Rory mumbled.

"Well, we've been, well…you know. We've been living together for some time now."

"Yeah, I sorta figured that much." Rory added.

"Well, we also…share a bed." He said ignoring her comment.

"Alright there. Stop right now. Way to many details." Rory joked.

"Don't worry, that's about as far as it's gonna get." He said letting out a little nervous laugh. "Anyways, she…I…we're…um, well we're expecting a baby."

Rory stopped walking, and turned to face him. "W—What?"

"Please don't make me repeat that."

"Oh my God, does mom know?"

"No, you'd be the first, even amongst our friends."

"Wow."

"Is that a 'I'm so happy for you dad' wow, or a 'I can't believe this is happening' wow, or a 'this is horrible' wow?"

"It's somewhere between the first two." Rory said, sounding kind of anxious.

"Hey, common, this is a good thing."

"I know. I'm really happy for you dad, but—"

"But what?"

"Well, mom. I mean this is really going to hurt her."

"Yeah, I know."

"How are you going to break it to her?"

"I really don't know. But, let's just not focus on that now. Let's just be happy for a little."

"Yeah, yeah sure. Being happy, eh, that's a good idea."

"Yeah, happy." Chris said.

There was a long pause until Rory spoke out. "This is freaking me out."

"Yeah, me to. Forget this; let's change the subject. How's school?"

"School, um school is good, actually I ran for pres—"

"Oh hold on. It's probably work." Chris said when his phone rang.

"Work? On a Sunday?" Rory asked, skeptical by the fact that her father actually had an ongoing job.

"_Hey lady, I've got a lot of responsibility now, okay?"_

"Okay." Rory answered.

A couple minutes later, Chris pulled the phone away from his ear, but he didn't close it. "Look, um it actually turned out to be work, so I'm gonna go take this call. We'll catch up later."

"Oh alright."

"Will you tell Lorelai?"

"About Sherry?"

"Yeah?"

Rory sighed. "I don't know."

"Please. I'll call her tomorrow, and explain it better, but you might as well tell her so she doesn't think I made you keep it from her."

"Alright." Rory said, although she really felt unsecured by this.

"Thanks kiddo." Chris said as they hugged. "Bye." He said as he started down the opposite direction of the pathway.

"Bye!" Rory called out. She turned around to leave, but she noticed a male figure standing a few meters away on the lawn. Her eyes widened in surprise, as she subconsciously started walking towards him, trying to process what she was seeing. "Oh my God." She whispered when she could clearly see the figure. "Jess." She whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you to."

"What? Is everything alright?"

"You look nice."

"Thank you. What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"I moved back." He stated simply.

"But—When—what—why—?" Rory stuttered.

Jess shrugged. "Just…wanted to."

She smiled a little. She looked around to see if anyone was there and took a deep breath. She took one step forward and Jess just stood there, watching her every move. Suddenly he felt her place her hands on his shoulders and lean it slowly.

He didn't know what was happening, but he knew for sure that the second they would finally touch she was going to regret even seeing him. He watched her close her eyes, and he couldn't help but take advantage of the moment.

He leaned in and let his lips gently graze hers. She pulled away, slowly, but it was only about an inch. She looked into his eyes, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms gently around her waits then pulled her closer.

She kissed him again, passionately. She felt him smirk through the kiss as Jess tightened his grip on her and pulled her closer once again, so that their bodies were vertically pressed together.

They remained in that position for a little while longer until Rory heard someone call her name. She jumped away from Jess and looked behind her, only to reveal her best friend. "Oh my God!"

"Rory?"

She looked at Jess a pleading look in her eyes. "Don't say a word."

He stayed silent for a moment then nodded. "Okay."

She ran, and then when she was at a good distance from him she turned around. "Oh welcome back!" He nodded again and watched her run off to Lane.

She reached Lane and they began walking back to the reception quietly. "Lane? What did you see?"

Lane looked at her through the corners of her eyes. "Enough." She mumbled.

"Define enough." Rory ordered as she stopped walking. She put her arm in front of Lane's torso so she stopped working and looked at her.

"I just saw you kissing him."

"For how long?"

"I called your name the second I saw you."

"Oh." Rory said she didn't know what to tell her friend. She had no explanation let alone an excuse.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"So your mad?" Rory asked.

"No, I just can't believe you would do that to Dean." Rory looked down ashamed of herself. "Why? I mean, he's been nothing but the best boyfriend ever to you and this is how you repay him?"

Rory looked up at her friends face. Lane always understood, but right now she seemed to be acting the exact opposite. "I don't know Lane. You have to understand that I don't know what got into me."

"You mean, other then the fact that you are completely in love with Jess?" She asked.

"I really wish I wasn't, but every time I see him I feel so different. I want to be different. Not in a bad way, but I want to do things I have never done before. You know?"

"You mean sex?"

Rory's eyes grew. "What? No!"

Lane smiled and Rory shook her head. "Like what?" Her friend asked, nudging Rory by the elbow.

"I don't know, but remember when we were studying he talked me out of studying with him to go out for ice cream. He made me lie to my mother so we could watch a movie. We fell asleep on the couch and…I don't know…different."

"Wow, you've got it bad."

Rory snickered nervously. "I know, and it's…kind of scaring me."

"Why are you still holding on to Dean?" Lane asked, her voice serious again.

"Because I'm afraid. I told you."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"What if I regret…you know…being with Jess? What if it turns out to be the biggest mistake? I'm safe with Dean."

Lane nodded in acknowledgment. "I guess your just going to have to choose."

"It's so hard." Rory whispered. Lane put on a reassuring smile and hugged Rory. Rory hugged her back then pulled away a little to look at her. "You…won't say anything will you?"

Lane shook her head. "I won't." Rory sighed of relief. "But you will." Lane added and Rory gave her a worried look. They pulled apart from eachother and exchanged one last glance before saying goodbye.

Rory hurried towards her mother, when she saw both she and Luke having a conversation with Sookie and Jackson. Rory grabbed her mother by the wrist and tugged her away from them.

"Ok, ok. Stop pulling me." Lorelai demanded.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Mom. I'm going to Washington."

"D.C?"

"Yeah. With Paris and everyone."

"Are you sure you really want to?"

Rory looked down, and then nodded sheepishly.

Lorelai sighed deeply. "Alright, if your sure."

"Thank you." Rory said a small smile appearing on her face.

"No problem. Maybe now I can have myself some alone time at home. Maybe recreate another baby." Lorelai joked.

Rory smile disappeared as a blank expression replaced it.

"Rory, I was kidding."

"I know. But now that the mention on babies has come up, I have to tell you something…"

**A/N: **Ok, let me tell you, this is so not the way I expected this chapter to go. I hope to all who have been waiting, that it was not a letdown. I don't like the way it went on during and after the Rory/Jess scene, but I couldn't come up with another scenario so I just kept it the way it was. Also please mind my grammar mistakes, but I don't have time to reread it and post it in the same day. So anyway despite everything please leave me a review and tell me what you thought. Show me love, hate, whatever. Lol.

-Chrissy


	8. Chapter 8

Hello!

All right, I'm just going to cut to the chasse: I'm going to end this story right here. It's going to be kind of my own little introduction thing for the sequel I will begin. The sequel will revolve around Amy's version of season three but it will be half mine. I know it may not seem to make to much sense now, but it will as soon as I begin.

Also there will be less updates this month because it's probably my busiest month of the year, and I assume that goes for most of you as well.

Anyway thank you for all your cooperation during the past seven chapters, and I hope to have the same support throughout the ones to come.

Love you all,

Chrissy♥

**A/N: **All right, everything up there: forget it. A close friend kept nagging me about how I shouldn't have ended the chapter like that and after a lot of thinking I could only agree with her. (Thanks Mezz) Anyways besides that, there will still be less update this month. It is after all almost Christmas right? Okay, well I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and it will be a continuous from chapter 7 and it will soon follow the season three methods.

**Disclaimer: **Sadly I own nothing but my imagination, which is being used to create this story.

Chapter 8 

_Rory rolled her eyes. "Mom. I'm going to Washington."_

"_D.C?"_

"_Yeah. With Paris and everyone."_

"_Are you sure you really want to?"_

_Rory looked down, and then nodded sheepishly._

_Lorelai sighed deeply. "Alright, if your sure."_

"_Thank you." Rory said a small smile appearing on her face._

"_No problem. Maybe now I can have myself some alone time at home. Maybe recreate another baby." Lorelai joked._

_Rory smile disappeared as a blank expression replaced it._

"_Rory, I was kidding."_

"_I know. But now that the mention on babies has come up, I have to tell you something…"_

"Is this going to make mommy go crazy?"

"I really hope not. Because supposedly it was a big accident."

"Oh my God! Your pregnant!" Lorelai yelled. "I knew that smile Dean had on his face was so innocent every time he saw you. You lost your virginity at 17! Oh lord!"

Rory's eyes widened. "What? No! Mom relax please."

Lorelai exhaled sharply. "Few! Thank God, I think I almost had a heart attack."

Rory shook her head then returned to her previous comment. "Mom, this is serious, I really have to tell you something."

Lorelai noticed the way Rory's voice sounded nervous, and Lorelai immediately sensed that this wasn't going to please her. "Ok, fill me in."

"Well, I know you and dad haven't talked in…forever…but well…I mean he showed up at Sookie's wedding, you know just like that and I really didn't know anything about this, so you really cannot be mad. And it's really not my fault and I just found out everything. Okay? So no mad mom, no crazy mom, no making-a-scene mom alright?"

"Okay, okay tell me already, this is really starting to sound bad."

"Well, it's both, you know good and bad."

"Okay…so? What is it?"

"Okay, well you know dad has been dating Sherry right?"

"Yes, I have heard some rumors."

"Well, um, they live together and stuff…" She trailed off.

"Where is this going off to, cause I really don't know why you're telling me this."

"Mom, it's just that, I mean, you can't get mad, okay? It's not like they planned it or anything. It just happened, like…well…me."

"You? What does that…oh my God." Lorelai's eyes grew wide.

"Is that a good or bad 'oh my God'?" Rory asked.

"It's both, actually mostly…"

"Bad?" Lorelai nodded. "Mom? Are you okay?"

"Y—yeah. I'll be fine. I'm just going to go get a drink."

"Mom, we can just go home, it's alright."

"No. No. Its Sookie's wedding we should be happy."

"If your sure."

"I'm sure, a hundred percent." Rory didn't buy it, not even a little, but she didn't want to ruin this day even more. Her father sure did choose the worst times to drop the bomb. Her mother was hurt and heartbroken and she felt betrayed.

"Mom, its just—"

"Rory!" She heard Dean call. Rory sighed; she wasn't in the mood to talk to him. She wasn't going to be able to look him in the eyes anymore after what she had done. She felt bad and in the pit of her stomach she could feel guilt growing.

She spun around and plastered a fake smile upon her face. "Dean!" He stopped in front of her and smiled back.

"So? How'd it go with your dad?"

Rory didn't reply, she only looked at her mother to see how she was. Lorelai nodded as a greeting to Dean and excused herself, "I'm just going to head over that way, you know quench my thirst with a _very strong _drink." She emphasized.

"Um, alright. Mom, we can leave whenever you want. Don't hold back because of me. Sookie will understand."

"We're the maids of honor we don't leave until the very end. Okay? I'll survive another 6 hours. Now go run off with Dean, and kiss all night. I will be fine."

"Mom…"

"Rory, enough. I'm fine."

Rory nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Bye Dean." Lorelai waved a little then walked off.

"What was that about?" Dean asked when Lorelai was at a good distance.

Rory held eye contact with him. "Nothing, you really don't want to get into that."

"Okay. Rory? Are we okay?"

"What? Why do you ask?"

"Never mind that, answer the question."

"Yes, we're okay. Great actually." She lied.

"Great?"

"Okay, that was a little exaggerated."

"Our relationship is exaggerated?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, you explain it to me."

"Dean, what is wrong with you. The last I checked we were doing fine, is something going on that I don't know of?"

"No! I mean, no. I just thought…"

"Thought what?"

"I don't know, Jess arrives and you're all friendly with him, then he leaves and we turn into a used-to-be and now…" she didn't let him continue she had something on her mind and she was going to say it.

"Alright…first of all used-to-be, what is that Dean? We are together aren't we? Where is this all coming from? Did something happen that I don't know of?" Rory asked, then she paused wondering if he saw the kiss. She shook that thought away immediately because he couldn't have seen that, only Lane did, and even if he had why would he stall he would have broken up with her, at least he did last time…when Tristan was around.

"Rory? Are you still here?" he said waving a hand in front of her face.

Rory shook her head. "Oh yeah. Yeah. Sorry."

"Look, we can do this some other time, I was completely wrong to do this. I mean how stupid am I? Of course we're fine. You would never do anything wrong. And Jess is gone, no more problems. Anyway never mind my babbling. I love you."

Rory looked down, for a fraction of a second. "Yeah, I know. Me too."

Dean nodded, accepting her response. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Rory did kiss back, but it didn't feel like Jess' lips. There wasn't anything, sure Dean lips were soft, but Jess' were…different. Different was good though, in Rory's book, different was more then good, it was great. Fantastic even.

It was weird for Rory, to be thinking of Jess while she was kissing Dean. All she could do was find comparisons and it wasn't at all the right thing. She knew that Dean would be hurt if she told him about the kiss, and about the fact that Jess had actually moved back. Rory pulled away before she would think up anything more about Jess.

"That was nice." Dean said tilting his head sideways trying to catch her eyes. Rory tried to hide her eyes she couldn't look at Dean. It was hard enough keeping this secret from him, and she wasn't ready to end her relationship with him after all those years. "Well, wasn't it?"

Rory immediately noticed that she hadn't answered Dean's comment about the kiss. Also that she knew what he thought she was thinking. "Oh, it was. Yeah." Rory said and smiled, it was another lie.

……………………………

Back at the bar where Lorelai had decided to drink up the last of her sorrows, Luke had noticed the way she was acting, and he knew something was up. He walked up to her and rested his hand on her shoulder, which made her jump, and turn around to face him.

"Hey." She spoke lightly.

"Hi."

"Wanna cup?" she asked waving a martini filled glass in front of his face.

"No I don't drink martini's that often. Thank you."

"Fine suit yourself." She looked away, and then back at the bartender. "Keep em' coming."

Luke looked at him then shook his head. "No she doesn't need another."

"Hey! I wanted another."

"Okay, what's wrong, you were fine 2 seconds ago. You leave with Rory and then you come back here and your two cups away from becoming stoned. Did something happen?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Nah, it's just something came up with Christopher and it's not very pleasing. Well for me it isn't."

"What is it?"

"It's no big deal Luke, go enjoy the ceremony, I don't want to upset you on this happy day."

"Don't worry about, I'm a big boy, I'll live."

"Luke, I just don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"Lorelai…" he looked at her not removing his eyes from her face. She stirred uncomfortable by the fact that he was starring her down.

"Fine! Chris' girlfriend became pregnant and it's really bugging me. Are you happy now?" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Ecstatic."

"Great." Lorelai sarcastically said, then looked away from Luke. She looked behind him when she heard Emily cough and noticed the shocked expression lying on her face. "Mom…I…"

"I hope you know what this means Lorelai." Emily said then stomped off grabbing Richard's and dragging him away from the reception.

"Mom! What does this mean? Mom!" Lorelai called but Emily's stubbornness kept her from replying and continuing her way to the parking lot. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?" Luke asked.

"Yes your fault, you're the one who wouldn't shut up. You're the one who kept asking me on and on what was wrong, and to get you to put a cork in it, I told you. Well this is just peachy!"

"Hey, don't put all the blame on me, you're the one who looked all sad. So I came to check up on you. Geez, can't a guy do a good deed." Luke said to no one in particular.

"Luke, I'm sorry. This is just too much for today. I guess you just seemed like an easy target to get all my frustration out on."

"Are you done?"

"Not even close."

"Well, if you have anything left to say you might as well say it now."

"Why?"

"Because everyone left after your little show."

"They left."

"Yeah, look around. Everyone went inside, with the exception of Kirk who is dancing with his mother, and Mr. Petesqui who seems to be to drunk to move."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"I should probably go apologize to Sookie."

"I don't think she'll mind, they were going to start the toasts in 15 minutes anyway."

"Yeah, I suppose your right."

"So, anything left to say, or should I just go in and join everyone else?"

"I just have one more thing."

"Alright what is it?"

"Okay, well those shoes totally clash with that suit. I'm sorry, but seriously, who wears—"

"Okay I'm leaving."

"Come on Luke, I haven't gotten to the socks and tie part, your navy blue socks so don't go with that red and green silky tie."

"Goodbye."

"Luke!" Lorelai called out laughing. "It was a joke. Come here and let me give you a big bear hug!" She got off her stool and followed him inside the inn, where everyone was.

……………………………

"Wow. Luke was right, everyone did come in." she whispered then headed towards Rory and Dean who were sitting with the Foresters.

"So, how's it going with you two lovebirds?" Lorelai looked at deans mother and waved slightly. They were never to close. "Hi Samantha. How are you?" (A/n: alright, I'm just guessing Mrs. Foresters first name, I never thought they actually said it in the show, and if they did, it didn't click, so please don't mind it.)

"I'm good dear. Thank you." She then turned her attention away from Lorelai to talk to her husband.

Rory looked up at the sound of her mother's voice. She realized her mother's voice was happy and her face was glowing, so Rory assumed either she was really drunk and she forgot, or she just decided to let everything slip for a while. "Hey. You look good, happy again."

"Yeah, a good friend knows how to help you drown your sorrows." Lorelai said looking at Luke from the corner of her eye.

"Good, that's good."

"Yeah. So? Have they started yet?" she said motioning towards Sookie and Jackson.

"You mean the toasts?"

"Uh-huh."

"They should actually start in about 2 minutes. Come join us."

"Actually I think I'll go sit with Sookie."

"Okay, whatever you want."

"Rory, maybe you should come with me. I mean you are a bridesmaid after all."

Rory gave her mother a confused look. "Um, okay?"

"Good, I'll see you there."

"Okay."

"Okay. Goodbye Samantha, Roger." Lorelai said, but they paid her no mind so she walked away.

……………………………

Rory looked at Dean and saw that he wasn't paying any attention. "Dean." He looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to go join mom."

"What?"

"I'm going to go sit with Sookie and mom. Okay?"

"Oh sure." He didn't seem to care, which sort of took Rory out of her place.

"Alright then. See ya."

"Bye."

Rory got up after Dean's somewhat awkward 'bye' then head towards the newlyweds.

……………………………

"Hey! Sookie and Jackson congratulations!"

"Hey honey, I didn't see you after the church mass. Where did you run off to?" Sookie asked.

"Um, my dad showed up, so I went for a walk with him."

"Oh…really?" Sookie pretended to be surprised, but it didn't go unnoticed by Lorelai.

"You knew Christopher was coming?"

"Um, no! What make's you think that."

"Your not good at lying."

"Fine. I invited him, but that was before I knew you guys were in a fight, and I didn't want to uninvite anyone, including Chris."

"Sookie, I got into a big fight with him! I said some things to him, that didn't please him. I…I mean, we weren't doing good the last time we saw each other and now it just got worse."

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry."

Lorelai nodded. "You didn't know."

"No." Sookie shook her head, slowly.

"You know what, today should be happy, so you know what screw Chris, let's celebrate!"

"That's right! We'll celebrate me and Jackson!"

"Yeah."

Rory smiled and enjoyed the show. She didn't say anything between their little exchange, because she knew everything would solve itself, it always did with Sookie and Lorelai. She knew when she saw Lorelai laugh at Jackson's nagging about how he felt oddly uncomfortable wearing a skirt…uh…quilt, that she could finally put in a little word. "So? Sookie? How does it feel to no longer be a bachelorette?"

Sookie smiled. "You know, I'm still having a hard time believing it, but when it finally processes in my head I will be sure to tell you."

"That works."

"So? How about you Rory? Anything interesting happen?"

Rory paused for a second remembering what happened with Jess. She drifted off replaying it in her head of the third time that night. He hadn't pulled away from her, he had actually kissed her back, which kind of surprised her since it was the first time she had actually noticed. He had kissed her back, so that must mean he actually _liked _her, maybe even more then just friends. If you thought about it Jess wouldn't kiss his _friend, _so something must have been there, even if it was only the size of an extremely small peanut, it was still a (little) something.

"Rory? Honey? I know you enjoy seeing David Conrad naked, I mean who wouldn't, but come back to earth, I think your drooling." Lorelai said waving a hand in front of Rory's eyes.

"What? Huh?" Rory said, shaking her head.

"What was that about Hun, Sookie asks you the simplest question and you just poof away, into another dimension. Is there something your not telling me? I mean I would totally be down with you being Sabrina the teenage witch. I love that show!"

"Sorry to crush your hopes but I wouldn't be to '_down' _with me being Sabrina. And I wasn't picturing David Conrad naked."

"Ya know your right it's not that hard, Jennifer Love Hewitt got it all on tape for us."

"What?"

"Ghost Whisperer sweets."

"Wow, isn't the show over?"

"Geez kid, how long has it been since you've watched television? They just started season TWO!"

"Okay, whatever. Well, moving on. I'm sorry, Sookie what were you asking me?" Rory asked politely ignoring her mother.

"Oh, it's nothing forget it."

"Okay."

……………………………

It was finally Monday. She would be leaving for Washington in one day, and her bags weren't packed yet. (A/n: Again, I'm not sure when exactly Rory left, so I'm just saying it's two days after the wedding. I know I seem to know nothing about the show, and I apologize, but please don't criticize me, my memory sucks.) She hadn't really felt like going earlier that year, basically because she didn't want to endure 6 weeks away from her mother, to be spent with Paris and the rest of the Franklin group.

She wasn't in the mood of going off and spending her summer, attending ruthless meetings and meeting rich people who would go on bragging on and on about something or other. She knew that she wasn't going to enjoy it, and especially because sharing a room with Paris isn't to flattering considering the fact that she talks in her sleep. She knew about this from their previous sleepover, the day Jess had showed up with the very generous care package 'Luke' had sent over.

Speaking on Jess, that…he was the main reason she was leaving her hometown for most of her summer vacation. She didn't want to face him after what happened. She sure as hell wouldn't know what to say, and she wasn't going to go up to him and pretend nothing happened. He would definitely flaunt it, and start with his sarcastic remarks, and personally Rory wasn't the type of person to look forward to stuff like that.

Oh yes, it was going to be a long summer for her.

……………………………

Lorelai and Rory were on their way to the airport, but seeing as they had another two hours they decided to stop at Luke's for brunch, despite Rory's multiple pleads just to eat at the airport. But according Lorelai, she had to have her Luke-coffee or her day just wouldn't be the same.

Lorelai parked the car in front on Luke's and got out. Rory stayed in her seat hoping Lorelai wouldn't notice, but seriously who wouldn't notice if their daughter wasn't there.

"Your not going to come down?" Lorelai asked, leaning against the open car window.

"Um, I don't know."

"Honey, we'll make it on time. Trust me."

"I know."

"Look, I swear, I'll grab myself a Danish and an extra large cup of coffee, and we'll be on our way."

"No, no, I know."

"Okay? Is there something I need to know?"

"Nope."

"Okay good then. Come down and let's grab brunch."

Rory sighed, she could tell her mother didn't believe her, but she didn't want to tell her, at least not yet. "Fine, let's eat." Rory replied reluctantly getting out of the car.

……………………………

"Luuuuuuuuukey!" Lorelai chanted as she entered the diner.

"Great, I get to meet Mary Popin's sister." Luke mumbled.

"Hey, I'm your number one favorite customer, you old grouch."

"Actually that would be Kirk. He is here every single day."

"Well that's just because he has no life."

"Hey! I'm right behind you!" Kirk called.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kirk." Lorelai apologized.

"Already forgotten." He replied.

"Rory, your awfully quiet." Luke pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm just tired, I've been up since 5 making sure I had everything." Rory said.

"Oh. You want a cup of coffee."

"Please and thank you."

"Hey? How about your number one customer _with a life_?"

"How many have you already had today?"

"Who me?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yes you Lorelai."

"Only one."

"Plus?"

"Three" she mumbled.

"Four cups?"

"Rory woke me up at five. Plus, it was store bought, I ran out of your fantastic, coffee."

"What do you think Rory? Does she deserve a cup?"

Rory shrugged but didn't answer. Luke looked at Lorelai oddly, hoping she could tell him what was wrong, but Lorelai only shrugged as well.

Suddenly Rory heard a tumbling sound coming from the stairs behind the curtain, and she immediately knew it was Jess. She rested her elbows on the counter and put her face in her hands.

Lorelai saw that and so did Luke, they both turned and faced Jess and glared at him. Jess looked from Luke to Lorelai, and he couldn't understand what he had done wrong so that they were looking at him like that. He just pretended to ignore them and walked behind the counter, when he saw Rory.

Luke looked away from Jess, as did Lorelai, as they returned to their conversation.

"Rory." Jess said, and her head shot up.

She looked into his eyes and before she could say anything Lorelai cut in. "Honey, we have got to get going." Rory nodded, gave Jess one last look then got of her stool and left with her mother.

……………………………

"Rory?" Lorelai asked, as they began to enter into the long airport building.

"Hmm?"

"What's going on between you and Jess?"

Rory's eyes widened as they shifted to the left and looked at Lorelai. "Nothing." It was a lie.

"Then what was with the whole hide and seek thing?"

"I was tired, I'm allowed to—"

"Gilmore!" Paris called; as she saw her friends enter through the door.

"Hey Paris."

"Hurry up and exchange your goodbyes, it's time to get on the plane!"

"There's another hour though."

"We want to best seats, plus I need to sit next to someone sane, someone like you so come on hurry!" she exclaimed.

"Okay, I'm coming, give me 5 minutes."

"Alright, but only 5. I'm timing. 4 minutes 59 seconds, 58 seconds, 57…" her voice trailed off as she backed away.

"So I guess this is it." Rory said looking at her mother's teary eyes.

Lorelai sniffed. "I guess it is. Call me 100 times a day?"

"How about once a day, at 5?"

Lorelai nodded. "It's a deal." She held out her pinky. "Pinky promise."

Rory linked her pinky with her mother's. "Pinky promise." She agreed.

Lorelai pulled her close and hugged her tightly. "I love you kiddo."

"I love you to."

"1 MINUTE 36 SECONDS!" Paris called.

"That's my cue." Rory said.

"Bye baby."

"Bye mommy."

They wiped their tears away, hugged one more time and left with a simple, "6 weeks will go by fast, you'll see!"

Lorelai waited until her daughter was out of sight, then left the airport.

A/n: okay, well that's it for my December gift to you, my friends. Have a Happy Holidays, and leave me a simple gift…a review :D. MERRY CHRISTMAS, HANUKAH, or QUANZA!

-Chrissy♥


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Well, it's over, Christmas, the New Year celebration. And every other holiday celebrated during the wonderful month of December. It's okay though cause now, there will be more updates and more delightful chapter written by yours truly. Well anyways, enough of my babbling, here is chapter 9. Please R&R.

**Disclaimer: **Yea and I'm king of the world too.

Chapter 9 

"I can't believe it's been 5 and a half weeks since you've been gone. I'm so bored! I want you to come home, mommy misses you and your stupid rants." Lorelai whined into the receiver.

"I'm coming home in 3 days mom, if you've managed to wait for that long 3 days will go by fast."

"Well your boyfriend's been getting antsy."

"Mom, I talk to Dean every other day, he's surviving without me."

"Yea I guess."

"Mom, it's almost seven we've been talking for a long time, I'll call you tomorrow at five?"

"That was the plan."

"And we're sticking with it."

"I know."

"Ok mom, bye."

"Bye sweets, love ya."

"I know I love you to."

"Bye Hun."

"Bye."

"Bye."

"Bye."

"Bye-bye."

"BYE!"

"Au revoir. Ciao. Aloha Cherie."

"OK, mom enough, I have to go. See you soon." Rory said and hung up without letting her mother respond.

"I knew you and your mother were close, but that was outrageous." Paris stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Your using your cell phone, oh and by the way, your mother's voice could be heard from here, and let me tell you she sure is energetic."

"We've never been away from each other for more then 3 days Paris."

"Really? My mother and I haven't spoken for at least 2 weeks now. My nanny and I are close though."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, she's always been there for me. I guess it's like that for you and Lorelai." Paris said, not sounding like Paris at the moment though.

Rory nodded smiling. "Yes, she's always there, even when I don't want her there."

Paris chuckled. "Well Gilmore, I've got to be honest, spending the summer with you was not half bad, it's was actually sort of good."

"Thank you. You too. It was kind of fun."

"Yea, your pushing it." Rory smiled but didn't answer. Suddenly Paris' phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her jean pocket and smiled at the number. She looked at Rory, her eyes glowing. "It's Jamie."

"Jamie?" Rory asked hopefully.

"Why would he want to call me?"

"He likes you."

"He does?" Paris' smile grew.

"Yea and you like him to."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Your blushing." Rory teased.

"Shut up Gilmore!"

"Paris, will you quit the act and pick up the phone?"

"Don't make a sound, I don't want him to think I'm spending my last few days alone with you." Rory looked at Paris sternly, but Paris only ignored it and picked up the phone. "Hello? …Hi…yeah, I'm free Friday…yes…I don't know anywhere…why? …You like my eyes? …Stop it, your embarrassing me…yes…I can't wait…president… Friday it is…yes, I know, I don't want it to end…Saturday morning is our flight…ok…Friday night it is…bye Jamie." Paris hung up and looked art Rory.

"So?" Rory asked hopefully.

"He's taking me out Friday!" Paris said, a grin spreading upon her features.

"Oh, Paris I'm so happy for you!"

"Yea, he likes my eyes."

"I know, I heard. How'd he humiliate you?"

"He…well…he said…"

"Come on."

"You know what, this is my personal life, so I would rather not share."

"Why not? Come on Paris."

"No, I have drawn a line."

Rory sighed, and shook her head. "Whatever you say."

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting to bed."

"Paris it's barely past seven." Rory pointed out.

"Sooooo?"

"So, it's still early."

"So what? We have a long day tomorrow."

"I guess so."

"Goodnight." Paris said then headed into her bedroom.

Rory watched until the door shut, then she settled herself, in a laying position, on the couch. "I'm just gonna watch some more TV before going to bed!" Rory called after her, but Paris didn't acknowledge. "Ok good." Rory mumbled, then started flipping through some channels.

……………………

Five hours later, Rory found herself stirring in an awkward position on the couch. She hadn't noticed she had fallen asleep there, but she didn't mind it, it was actually the first time she hadn't been woken up by Paris' sleep talking in 5 weeks. She sat up, no longer feeling the need to sleep, except the urge to pick up the phone and call somebody, anybody.

She wondered whom she would call at 12 midnight. Of course there was a slight time difference, but still, it was late. Rory sighed as memories from the past two months resumed in her head.

Then, the memory of Sookie's wedding came to her, which led to a kiss shared with a certain hoodlum, which only could lead to the thought of Jess and of everything he had made…makes her feel. She bit her lip in confusion wondering if she should.

She picked up the phone, and stared at it for a while. She finally gave in and pushed the 'power' button. She heard the dial tone and dialed the ever so familiar number she had so long ago memorized.

She prayed Luke wouldn't answer, because that would only be awkward, and for her to ask for Jess would completely startle Luke.

6 rings later: "Why the hell are you calling at midnight?" A gruff male voice answered obviously annoyed from being awakened from his slumber.

Rory's eyes grew as she immediately hung up. She looked at the number's on the phone and stared them down, like if she hadn't they would disappear. Although something similar did happen, they started to blur together until they didn't look at all like numbers anymore.

Rory blinked a few times and finally gave in and dialed the number again, promising herself _not_ to hang up this time.

4 wrings later someone finally picked up. "Is this some kind of joke you enjoy playing?" the gruff voice retorted, he didn't seem annoyed but angry. "Hello? I swear I will hang up if I don't get any type of response!"

Rory took a deep breath. "Hi. Jess? It's me Rory." She said quietly.

Jess' voice immediately softened. "Rory?"

"Hi."

"Hey?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to call, sorry I woke you." Rory explained.

"Nah, it's fine."

"So? How are you?"

"I'm doing good, how's Washington?"

"It's Washington, nothing special." Rory said (ironically) _serious._

"Oh."

"Well it has nice…houses." Rory finished lamely.

"Always good to know." Jess said sarcastically, but you could almost hear him smirk.

"Actually, it had this big WHITE house."

"Really?"

"It is being occupied by the president at the moment."

"I would have never guessed."

"Well it is nice."

"Huh. Did I mention your mother has been here everyday?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, longer then usual."

"She's bored without me, Stars Hollow isn't anything without me."

"Yeah, your right, it isn't." Jess said intending it to be a joke, but somehow they both knew it had a secondary meaning.

"I'm so sorry." Rory randomly blurted out.

"What for?"

"I kissed you and I ran away from you. I'm so so sorry."

"Forget it."

"That's just it I can't, I just can't."

"Because you regret it?" He asked, trying not to sound to disappointed. Rory remained silent for a moment. "You still there?"

"Yes."

"Yes for what?"

"Yes I'm still here and…no, I…I do not regret it, not even a little. The only thing I regret is leaving Dean hanging like that and completely forgetting him while I was with you."

"Huh."

"Here we go again." Rory sighed.

"It's half hour past midnight."

"I know I should hang up."

"You should, but you don't want to."

"I should hang up." Rory repeated.

"When do you get back?"

"I leave Saturday morning, so I'll be home in the afternoon."

"Good, that's good."

"It is."

"Well see you Je—"

"Why'd you call, for real?"

"I told you, I couldn't sleep."

"That's all?"

"I guess, well, I hadn't talked to you in so long, and I missed you…err…missed talking to you."

Jess grinned on the other line, thankful that Rory couldn't see it. "Okay, well I hope this satisfied you, you've talked to me."

"Yes, I have."

"Goodnight Rory. See you soon."

"Goodnight Jess." Rory said, smiling like an idiot on the other line, while hanging up. She lay back down on the sofa, then relaxed herself, closed her eyes and before she knew, she drifted off to sleep, her smile never leaving her features.

…………………………

Back in Stars Hollow, Jess smirked, and sat up in his bed. He wasn't tired anymore, and Rory returned in his thoughts and flooded his mind again. He leaned to his left and grabbed his book off his nightstand and began reading.

…………………………

Friday came by quickly. Paris and Rory attended a few meetings, had lunch with some people whom they had never met, had a very recent debate, of which they won, and toured Washington a bit. The day passed by within minutes in Rory's mind. It wasn't amusing and she was completely bored all day, plastering some fake smiles on her face, and meeting some strange people who would look good on her college application.

Rory sat in the bus with her other classmates and a few other people from Chilton, on their way back to the apartments, they had rented out for the groups. They arrived shortly after boarding the bus.

Rory was practically the first out, followed by Paris, who could hardly wait for her date to begin. Paris ran up the stairs, not even bothering to take the elevator. She stuck the key into the keyhole and ran to her closet. She opened it with a large swing and started searching through it.

Rory entered the apartment a few minutes after, because she had actually decided to wait for the elevator, seeing as her friend didn't have to patience to do so.

"Hey, Paris, your going crazy. I never pictured you as the type to obsess over stuff like this."

"Shut up Gilmore and come help me."

"Paris, let's just settle for simple okay?"

"No, not okay! I need more then simple, Jamie likes more then simple."

"Fine, how about your nice pinkish dress? The one you brought with you?"

"I know which one!" Paris exclaimed.

"Whoa. Where is this coming from? I was just trying to help, but seeing as you don't need it, I will just go and mind my own business." Rory said, turning around.

"No! Wait!" Paris called; she was desperate.

"Yes Paris?" Rory turned around and looked at her.

"I…I'm sorry" she mumbled. "I need your help, I have never done this before."

"Well, that's a good start, better then the one before."

Paris glared. "Will you help me now?"

"Wow. You almost sounded sincere, but with that last comment, I suppose I was wrong."

"If your just going to stand there and annoy me with your stupid comments, then I don't need your help."

"Sorry, let's start over. So how about that dress?"

"I like it, but what do I wear over it, it isn't exactly warm out."

"Your black sweater, the one with the beaded design."

"You do this often?"

"No, but every Friday night my grandmother makes us attend Friday night dinners."

"Right, you told me about that."

"Okay, enough about that, let's work on your hair."

"All right."

"Sit here." Paris obeyed and sat down. Rory grabbed the brush and began brushing Paris' hair. "You like him a lot Paris."

"Yeah, I do, but _he's almost here, I'm not dressed, my makeup's not done, and I haven't gone through the Zagat yet to pick out a restaurant_." She complained.

"_Why don't you just let him pick out the restaurant?" _Rory asked, not really knowing why she was obsessing over it this much, but then again it was her first…

"_What if he doesn't have a Zagat?" _

" _Well, then he'll wing it." _

"_Wing it? How come other girls get planned out dinners? Flowers, candy, rose petals thrown on the floors – and I get wing it?" …_But there was always a limit.

" _Well, you don't know that you've got wing it." _Rory tried her best to reassure her everything was going to be fine, but Paris was well Paris.

"_No, I do. I've got wing it. I can't do this."_

"_What?" _

"_Date. I can't date. I'm not genetically set up for it." _

"_Not true." _Rory countered.

"_I get no pleasure out of the prospect or the preparation. I'm covered in hives, I've showered four times, and for what? Some guy who doesn't even have the brains to buy a Zagat so we don't wind up in a restaurant that's really just a front for a cocaine laundering ring?" _

"Look, he's a great guy, and I'm sure he has a Zagat. Now let's drop this."

"Fine." Paris huffed.

"Geez, he really means a lot."

"He does Rory. _I wish I knew if he was right for me, _thoughDo you think he will be so I don't have to put_ myself through all of this for nothing? I mean, women fall for men who are wrong for them all of the time, and then they get sidetracked from their goals. They give up careers and become alcoholics and, if you're Sunny von Bülow, wind up in a coma completely incapable of stopping Glenn Close from playing you in a movie."_

"_Then you'll find someone else." _

"_But what if there is no one else?" _

"_Then you'll buy some cats._ _By the way I think you should wear your hair down. _

"_How do you know if a guy is right for you?" _Paris asked tilting her head upwards and starring at Rory.

"Y_ou just have to feel it." _

"_All I feel is my back breaking out." _

"_You'll know, okay? You just have to let it happen. And then, probably when you're not looking, you'll find someone who compliments you." _

"_Meaning?" _

"_Someone who likes what you like, someone who reads the same books or listens to the same music or likes to trash the same movies. Someone compatible." _

"_Okay." _

"_But not so compatible that they're boring." _

"_Someone who's compatible but not compatible." _

"_Yeah, kind of. I mean, you respect each other's opinions and you can laugh at the same jokes, but I don't know – there's just something about not quite knowing what the other person's gonna do at all times that's just really exciting. Look, just have a good time, you'll figure it out." _

"Is this how you felt with your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, Dean is something special."

"I was talking about that guy who came to your house that night I slept over."

"Jess?"

"Yeah. I liked him. He had good arguments about books. I enjoyed it."

"He isn't my boyfriend Paris."

"I can't believe you haven't made a move yet. You told me you liked him."

"I know I told you, and really no one else either. But honestly—" the wringing of Rory's cell phone cut her off, as 'Fur Elise' began to play. "I'll go get that and be right back. I'm sorry, hold on." She flipped open her phone. "Hello?"

"Come home. I miss you."

"Hi Dean."

"When do you come back?"

"Saturday morning, but my plane gets in at about three."

"That's great! But I have a basketball game that ends at six." He said, his voice becoming sad as he neared an end to his response. "I wish I could have gone to the airport."

"Black, black, black – where the hell is it?" Paris called after Rory. "Where did my black sweater go? I just had it! Rory!" She yelled.

"_That gives me three hours to look presentable. Hmm, perhaps I'll go blonde_." She pondered out loud.

"_I strongly request that you don't."_ He warned.

"_Afraid of change?"_

"_No, I just like what I have."_

"_I like a man who settles."_ Rory said.

"_I miss you."_ He repeated.

"_I miss you, too." _

"_Hey, hey, stop being cute. I need help here_." Paris just wouldn't give in.

"_I have to go. Paris is melting down."_

"_Why?" _

"_She has a date tonight." _

"_Really?"_ He was stunned.

"_Don't sound so surprised."_ Paris called over to Dean, loud enough so he would hear it over the receiver.

"_How do you know he sounded surprised?"_ Rory asked, _she_ sounded surprised.

"_Because I'm a genius, Rory. I have deep and powerful clairvoyant abilities_." Paris cooed.

"_Oh boy." _

"_For example, I can instantly deduce that when someone hears the name Paris in the same sentence with the word date, jaws will drop, confused looks will cover faces, words like 'how' and 'why' and 'Quick, Bob, get the children in the minivan because the world is obviously coming to an end!' will immediately fly out of people's mouths."_ She elaborated.

"_I really have to go." _She said to Dean.

"_Are you sure it's safe?"_ He kidded, although half serious.

"I'll be fine. I'll see you Saturday."

"See you then. I love you."

"_That's it, I'm shaving my head_!" Paris screamed.

"Gotta go." Rory said and hung up. "_Okay, Paris, you have got to calm down."_

"I just had that damn sweater, and how it's disappeared!" she exclaimed.

"Not only now, but it general, you have to calm down, we'll find it."

"Okay, look he'll be here any minute, and I have barely gotten myself ready!"

Rory ignored her and noticed the sweater hanging from the back of the chair Paris had been sitting on. "It's on the chair Paris. And your almost ready, your hair is done, we just have to add a little lip gloss, and you have to put on the dress."

"What about shoes?"

"Black sandals."

Paris looked at Rory, as if thinking about her response. "I suppose it works."

"It does, now…" Rory pointed to the bedroom.

"I'm going."

……………………………

"Oh my God he's here!" Paris yelled as she heard the doorbell.

"You look great Paris!"

"Thank you, now get in the closet."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want him to think I was spending this time with you."

"Well, I'm flattered."

"Hurry!" she ordered, putting on a scowl.

"Fine, fine." Rory grabbed a book and a flashlight and entered the tiny closet.

Paris opened the door and smiled. "Hi."

"Hey."

"Have you anything planned?"

"Well, according to the Zagat, we'll be going to this really fancy place."

"Your perfect." Paris said, linking her arm into his.

……………………………

"I can't believe we land in ten minutes." Rory exclaimed.

"You have to relax Gilmore."

"I can't wait to see my mother Paris, excuse me if being thrilled to actually see her is a crime."

Paris just scoffed.

"Hey, how about your nanny, I'm sure she's baking up a storm because you'll be home."

Paris' face softened. "Yeah, honestly, I miss her cooking and I'm happy to see her. I'm looking forward to it. A lot."

"I knew you would." Rory smiled.

……………………………

Rory stood there watching everybody hugging and reuniting with their families, but Lorelai was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly she felt a little tap on her shoulder and turned around.

She turned around and stared at the person standing now in front of her.

She let a small, (minuscule) smile appear. "What are you doing here?"

"I convinced your mother to let me come and get you instead."

"How'd you do that?"

"I told her that you came and visited me when I left, so why not let me do the same?"

"She hates you, and she was practically begging me to come home sooner."

"Fine, I told her I'd take away her coffee."

"I knew there was a catch." Rory let her smile extend. "This is not what I expected."

"So, I shouldn't have come?"

"No, no, Jess, this is great. Who would have thought you had a soft side?"

"Shh, don't ruin my reputation."

"You know no one here."

"Let's just get going."

"I'm loving this!"

Jess shook his head. He grabbed her bag and led her to Luke's truck.

……………………………

Jess parked the car in front of the diner, and before he could actually stop it, Rory jumped out and ran into the diner.

The bell above the door rang causing Lorelai and Luke to look back, they had been doing it since Jess left, each one having their regrets, wondering if they would actually make it.

"MOMMY!!!" Rory ran up to her mother.

"OFFSPRING!!!" They hugged for so long, that Lorelai's newly filled cup of coffee became cold.

"I missed you so much mom. I can't believe I haven't seen you for over 6 weeks."

"I missed you more Hun."

"I'm sorry you left, your mother had been here everyday ever since you've been gone." Luke said, trying his best way to welcome her back.

"I missed you to Luke." Rory walked behind the counter and gave Luke an awkward hug.

"I didn't know we were getting so touchy feely." Jess made his presence known.

"Oh shush." Lorelai ordered. "I'm still having a hard time believing she made it here alive."

Jess rolled his eyes, and picked up a note pad and open and went to take some orders.

"Home sweet home."

**A/N: **it's shorter then usual, and a lot of dialogue, but that's all I could come with. Hopefully next chapter will be more Rory/Jess. I'm going to make her realize that she doesn't want Dean anymore. So you guys have something to look forward to. Leave a review.

-Chrissy


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Okay, chapter 10 is finally up, and it's all thanks to all of you who took the time to review. Thank you very much. Sorry for the long hold up.

**Note:** Rory's thoughts here may not all be true, but this is after all a fictional story, and for it to actually lead to where Rory knows she no longer wants Dean, I had to put that in, I'm sorry if it bothers anyone…thanks.

**Disclaimer:** I highly doubt I own the show. 

**Chapter 10**

"…Everything has been so boring around here, I mean the town, dare I say it, almost seemed normal…" Dean was going on about how Stars Hollow felt without Rory.

Rory didn't mind it, but it was getting boring. She had heard it so many times before, like when she went away with her mother the day before her wedding with Max, or even further back when Rory and Lorelai had gone away for two weeks to Mexico in March, during Rory's first year at Chilton. It was cute, but completely pointless at times. 

"…And, I really wanted to and get you from the airport last week but this game counted a lot if I want a future in…"

Rory nodded her head and smiled every once in a while pretending to be listening to what he was saying it no longer interested her. It was actually annoying now, and it sort of bothered her. Dean would usually do this; he would pretend to care much more about her then his stupid social activities. He had always been this way, ever since they started dating. Of course she was an important priority in his life, but sports came first.

"…I wasn't that bad though, seeing as we won the game. I made 12 baskets…"

And then the bragging came along with that whole other package. He would be so proud of himself and envy himself so much that it disgusted her sometimes, although she would never ever once show the least bit of a sign that it was. She hated the way he always thought he was so great.

"…I really wish you could have been there, you much prettier then all those preppy cheerleaders…"

Then after all that, he would end with a nice little compliment towards her. She used to think it was really kind of him, but now, it seemed like a lie, just a little thing to make her think he was really concerned about her during his little events. Yeah, right. 

"…Anyways enough about me, how has it been with you?" Dean asked, leaning in and placing his chin in the palm of his hand, trying to maintain the image of being interested.

Rory looked directly into his eyes, and a weird of thought of 'how they looked nothing like Jess' eyes' flooded her thoughts. She shook her head swiftly and looked away from his eyes. She looked at the cup of coffee that had been filled for her about ten minutes ago. 

"Rory?" Dean asked, letting his posture become straight. "Are you still here with me?" Dean asked, somewhat sarcastically.

Rory looked up, making sure not to maintain eye contact. "Yeah, sorry I have a lot on my mind lately."

"That definitely explains why we had to get together, for the first time since you've been back, today." He smiled.

"I saw you at that stupid festival after I got home."

"For like 20 seconds, then Clara wanted me to go with her."

Rory agreed then added, "I'm sorry, I was just so tired to get together after that."

"Yeah, your mother told me when I called." He clarified.

Rory knew all along, but she tried to put it off as long as she could. "I know, I couldn't return your calls though."

"I hadn't noticed." He said, his voice sounding anything but unserious.

"I'm sorry." It didn't sound sincere to either of them.

"Don't apologize it's fine." It didn't sound too fine.

Rory looked away, and concentrated on the people walking outside. She starred intently out of Al's windows. Dean didn't seem to notice, he just began eating his pie.

Then, Rory saw a dark figure immerging down the sidewalk totally engrossed in his book, a pack of cigarettes apparent in his back pocket. She smiled at him, he looked so adorab—whoa what was she thinking. Rory's eyes grew. Sure she knew she had feelings for him, but she really didn't want to be thinking about them on her date with _Dean_. 

Suddenly something went wrong. No, suddenly something _was_ wrong. Rory felt uncomfortable and she just wanted to get out of this date. She wanted to go home, and just spend the rest of the evening with her mother watching a random movie or anything that would make her laugh and get her mind of off this date, or anything surrounding this date… 

Dean looked up when he heard Rory's chair slide back and Rory get up. "Hey, what's wrong?" Dean asked.

Rory put on an uneasy smile. "Nothing, it's just really late, and I really want to go home."

"We've only been out for around an hour." Dean argued, he didn't want her to go.

Rory lifted up her left hand and checked her watch. "An hour and 37 minutes." Rory corrected.

"Come on, you weren't timing it?"

Rory shook her head. "No, I just really want to go home. Please." 

"Fine. Let me walk you." Dean slid his chair and got up.

"No, Dean, I'll go alone. I really don't want to bother you." 

"It's alright, I don't mind."

"But I'm sure you have many other important things."

"Nah."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nope, today is, all about you."

"No really—"

"It almost sounds like you don't want me to walk you home."

"No, I just don't want to bother you."

Dean starred at her, trying to find the least bit of insincerity, but he couldn't. "It really doesn't bother me. So, let me ask, is it okay if I take you home?" He added the last bit really slowly. 

Rory had made sure not to let it sound or look like she wanted to be alone, so he wouldn't be able to notice. So her easiest way to try and prove that she was only worried about his convenience was by nodding and letting him walk her.

……………………………… 

Rory rushed into the house in a hurry, but didn't see her mother anywhere. She scurried over to the kitchen and found her mother reading a copy of 'Vogue' with a cup of coffee in her hand. 

Lorelai looked up and greeted her daughter. "Hey."

Rory sat down across from her mother and stared right into her blue eyes.

"You okay?"

"You were right, about everything." Rory practically yelled.

"I knew it!" Lorelai cheered.

"I cannot believe you were right!"

Lorelai looked at Rory, but then it hit her: "What exactly was I right about?" she asked sheepishly.

Rory ignored her mothers comment. "I mean who am I kidding, I can't hide it anymore."

"Honey, please, I'm not following." Lorelai needed an explanation.

"I kissed him and ran, I called him from Washington just so I could get closure, and now I ran from my date because I saw him walk by." She rambled. "I let myself pretend not to feel happy when he won my basket, or brought me my care-package, or when he jumped into my slay ride, or even when I helped him study, I was so thrilled when he asked me up to watch his stupid 'Kate Hudson' movie. And then there was New York, he was nice enough to come with me on the bus because I didn't want to sit next to a guy who would spit in that damn can! He's so great, and, and… And I can't be treating Dean like this. Oh my God, I am the worst girlfriend ever! Dean is going to hate me! Mom!"

"Sweetheart, I don't know—" Rory stopped her.

"No never mind, I have to break up with Dean."

"Hold on, hold on, hold on." Lorelai ordered. "You're going to break up with your boyfriend of two years so you can date the town hoodlum?"

"Mom, I knew I liked him since before I left to Washington."

"Wait, hold on, you kissed Jess? That's who you kissed and ran? That's why you went to D.C.? So you could get away form Jess? You called him and got closure? You kissed Jess?" Lorelai questioned, trying to figure out what the heck was going on in her daughter's head. 

"Yes…to everything." Rory mumbled the last bit.

"So? I was right?" Lorelai asked skeptically.

"Why are you so surprised, I can't remember the last time you weren't." Rory said, getting annoyed.

"Well, I'm flattered, but honey seriously, Jess?"

"Mom…" Rory whined.

"I'm sorry, this is a lot to process. I was just wondering why Jess wanted to go and get you that badly and now it just occurred to me that…" 

"What?" Rory asked.

"He practically begged Luke to let him go and get you."

"Begged?" Rory was stunned. "What?"

"He threatened to take my coffee, and Luke told him that he couldn't have another break for the rest of the week."

"What?"

"And he actually AGREED! He sacrificed a whole week's break, geez, how could I have been so stupid. Why were you guys gone for that long anyway? The airport is a half hour away. Did anything happen?" she asked suspiciously.

Rory almost choked on her own breath.

_'I'm loving this!' ___

_Jess shook his head. He grabbed her bag and led her to Luke's truck. He threw in into the back seat as he and Rory got in. ___

_Around fifteen minutes later, Rory noticed that they weren't headed back to Stars Hollow. ___

_'Where are we going?' she asked. ___

_'Took you that long we weren't headed back to dear ol' Stars Hollow?' ___

_'Hey, I haven't been here for a long time!' she argued. ___

_'Didn't know staying away from home caused memory loss.' He responded, a smirk playing on his lips. ___

_'Shut up, where are we going?' Rory repeated. ___

_'Just wait and see.' ___

_'You know I can't remain patient.' She whined. ___

_'Then this should be good practice.' ___

_Rory tried her hardest to put on a scowl, but she couldn't. ___

_A few minutes later, they pulled up to an odd looking Indian restaurant. ___

_'Indian?' Rory asked skeptically. ___

_'I know you love it, so why not?' ___

_'Yeah, I do, but I love this shirt to, I wasn't intending on burning it.' ___

_'To bad.' Jess said and got out of the car. When he was about to open the entrance door, he noticed she hadn't followed, so he turned around and he saw that she was still in the truck a large smirk on her face. He rolled his eyes and walked back to the truck. 'What the hell are you still doing in the truck?' He called, through the closed window. ___

_Rory didn't respond, instead she pointed to the door. _

'_Great observation skills, that's a door. Now come on.' _

_She shook her head stubbornly, and started motioning with her hands, stretching them out and closing them and doing all sorts of stuff with her fingers, trying to explain to him._

'_I swear I will just take you home if you really don't want to come down and eat with me.' He declared.___

_Rory shook her head and he sighed with defeat, closing her eyes. _

'_Will you just tell me what the hell you want? I don't have all day.' ___

_Rory rolled her eyes and rolled down her window. 'A true gentlemen let's the escort out first, u moron.' _

_He stood there looking at her dumbfounded. 'That's why you've been in there acting oddly?' he asked incredulously._

_Rory nodded her head, in a slow, determined, way.___

He paused, and then smirked, he knew exactly what to say. 'Well t_hanks for the great tip, I'll be sure to use it next time.' He replied sarcastically. ___

Rory looked at him in awe. _'You suck.' ___

_'Get over it.' Jess said, and waited for her to get out (on her own) and they both walked into the restaurant._

Rory hesitated, and then shrugged. "Jess took the wrong exit."

"What a dork." Lorelai chuckled.

"Mom, will you stop it. He isn't that bad."

"Well you know what they say, love is blind." Lorelai quipped.

"Stop!" Rory yelled, she hated that her mother didn't understand. "You fell in love with dad, and he was considered a 'hoodlum'." 

"And look how that turned out." Lorelai remarked.

"Jess is different."

"Really?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes." 

"He is exactly like your father, runs when everything turns out wrong." 

"Mom, _I_ run from everything."

"Yeah, well that's different."

"How so?"

"Honey, look, if you want to date Jess, I'm behind you 100 percent, but I can't guarantee it will work out. Everyone thought Dean was perfect, and now, you're practically over."

"Oh, so you'll just be counting the days until me and Jess are over?" 

"You're still not dating him sweets. Remember Dean?"

"I don't know this is to much. I just wanted to tell you that you were right again. Thanks for not rubbing it in. Goodnight." Rory got up and kissed her mother on her cheek and headed for her room.

But just as she was about to open the door, Lorelai called, "How about a movie night?"

Rory turned around and pondered it for a second. "_I love Lucy_?" She asked hopefully.

Lorelai smiled. "Of course."

………………………………

They spent the whole night awake watching comedy movies. They couldn't suppress their laughter, and it felt really good to laugh that much since neither of them had had a good laugh in ages. In fact, their laughter took so much out of them that instead of lazily falling asleep they both laughed their way to sleep. It was a great night for the both of them, minus the fact that the Gilmore Girl's jaws and cheeks were aching from the one position they remained in for hours.

………………………………

Rory awoke to the smell of something burning (not to mention the large pain growing from her jaw line and up). She sniffled around a little then looked at her surroundings; there were pizza crusts all over the table and inside the open box, take out food containers were splattered all around the living room floor, mixed with chips and candy balls from Lorelai's and Rory's little food fight. Rory smiled at the memory, but the sound of the fire alarm going off snapped her out of it.

"Mom! Why is there smoke everywhere?" Rory shouted.

Lorelai immerged from the kitchen, almost completely covered in flour from head to toe. "Well, I thought it would be a good—" _Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep_! Lorelai stopped talking, realizing the smoke alarm had begun beeping faster. "I'll be right back." She said and ran into the kitchen to get the fire extinguisher.

The next thing Rory knew there was complete silence in the house, not including the 'swishing' sound coming from the extinguisher Lorelai was using. Lorelai immediately ran out of the kitchen and looked at Rory, a look of victory on her face.

"Mom, what the hell were you doing?" Rory asked, looking at her mother's now newly _fully _covered white body.

"Well, as I was saying before I was so rudely cut off…" Lorelai stopped and looked at the fire alarm, pointing a guilty finger at it, "Yea I was talking about you Mr. Big Mouth, you and your non-stop stupid beeping, you are so lucky Mr. Extinguisher didn't come over here and accidentally spray you with his super magic—"

Rory rolled her eyes. "Mom, will you just please get to the point and stop blaming _'Mr. Big Mouth' _as you so kindly put it."

"I tend to get carried away at times." Rory looked annoyed, and Lorelai got the gist that she wanted her to get to the point already. "Okay, well, anyway, as I was saying, I woke up earlier then I would have liked, so the great idea of making breakfast this morning hit me." Rory's eyes grew in shock, giving away the thought that Rory was thinking '_Are you a mad women?'_ "So, I decided to look into our pantry and see what we owned, and I came across a box of 'Pancakes'. Please don't ask how they got there, they just somehow did."

"Mom, are you alright? Are you sure you don't have a fever?"

"Shh, and let me finish." Lorelai ordered.

"Fine, go on." Rory said, motioning with her hands.

"I read the instructions, and it was really quite simple, _so I thought_." She added as an afterthought. "I mean the pancake mix was already done, and all I had to do was add water."

"And, you almost caused a fire?"

"That was my mistake though, I forgot to actually add the water…" she said, a light embarrassed smile crept on her face.

"You forgot to add water, and it was the only instruction?" Rory was shocked at her mother's ignorance.

"I can't cook."

"Well thanks for pointing out the obvious." Rory said sarcastically.

"I have an idea though." Lorelai declared.

"Is it as great as preparing breakfast?"

"No, even better!"

Rory rolled her eyes. "What is it?"

"Let's get some really good fluffy pancakes from Luke's!" she declared, but then paused, sniffing under her arms. "Just, after I shower."

Rory smiled at her mother. "At least we know you're not completely helpless."

…………………………………

…………………………………

…………………………………

A Few Months Later 

…………………………………

…………………………………

…………………………………

Life went by in a big blur for Rory Gilmore. Actually not necessarily life, but the whole 3 months and a half she had been living seemed to go by in a big blur. The whole fact that her senior year of school had started up, and all the stupid town functions she had to attend. Starting with the town meetings at Ms. Patty's dance studio and ending with that (very recent) horrible, godforsaken dance marathon.

Of course, Rory was used to the stupid town meetings and everything about them i.e., Taylor's long rants about how they needed to get the streets cleaned every second day to prevent unwanted viruses, or opening some outranged store to attract tourists or having more choice's for places to go and shop…

And then there was that stupid 'First annual Stars Hollow end-of-summer madness festival' that Rory and her mother had to attend because apparently Lorelai had some important issues to discuss with Taylor and there was no other opportunity for her to do that.

Although Rory had regretted going there the second she saw _him _making out with that _skanky _Barbie-doll-wannabee. She couldn't believe it, she had thought they resolved everything that night on the telephone…not that there was anything to resolve but, she thought they were on the same page. That caused her to feel abandoned and she just wanted to go home, and take the image of them pinned across that tree out of her mind…but then Dean showed up. She had to pretend it didn't bother her, and for the rest of the day she wanted to cry but held it in.

In the evening Lorelai had wanted to go get some groceries (or junk Luke would completely frown upon) and then she got preoccupied so she sent Rory in instead…that was when she ran into Jess and completely gave him the 'cold shoulder'. He didn't understand so he and she got into very hysterical verbal fight, which lead to Rory storming out.

Rory and Jess hadn't spoken ever since.

But then the horrible dance marathon came around…

But what made that certain dance marathon so terrible was not only based on Jess going there with Barbie and intimidating Rory, but also based on Dean. Dean had seen the envy in Rory's eyes and voice; so that was when he was 'fed up' and he couldn't pretend it didn't bother him anymore.

So he did all he knew to do, he did all he could; he ended 'it'. 'It' wasn't working out, 'it' was all lies and hidden emotions that neither would dare speak about, in fear of the events to proceed. 'It' being their relationship.

But, what could either of them do? Dean was right, one hundred and ten percent right. He didn't have any respect lost over his big scene because everyone knew; everyone could see the secret glances, and little shy smiles the two exchanged when they thought no one was looking (before their little encounter at Doose's).

Rory knew it, Jess knew it, Lorelai knew it, Luke knew it, Taylor knew it, the town troubadour knew, the gossip queens knew, and even clueless little Kirk knew. So what was to say that Dean wouldn't eventually find out?

But the thing was, that deep down inside Rory didn't want to hide any longer, she didn't want to be in denial, so after she went through phase one (telling Lorelai) she knew that phase two was trying to get Dean to understand…although she never expected herself to burst into tears and cry over him, Rory didn't even, for a second, think it would be as painful as it was that night.

There was no way out, it was meant to happen that way, and that was the way it happened.

…………………………………

Rory sat on the bridge tears falling out of her eyes and rolling down her cheeks slowly. She wasn't sobbing only looking out at the water in front of her. She felt so hallow and it was a feeling she had never felt before. At least not like this, this time she knew it was over for sure, no second chances, ever again with Dean.

He _left_ her. Guy _left _girl. Bagboy _left_ Bookworm. Dean _left _Rory.

It didn't sound right, it just wasn't _right. _It was _wrong. _Everything went wrong.

Rory looked down as a new batch of tears poured out of her swollen eyes. She could feel her eyeliner melt down her cheeks as the blush faded with each new tear. Rory sniffed a few times until she could catch her breath and control the tears that fell.

She straightened her posture and clasped her hands together and starred down at them for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly she heard footsteps; they were so quiet and sneaky that if it wasn't completely silent she wouldn't have been able to hear them.

She looked up and saw him standing there his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket. He looked indifferent but Rory could almost swear she saw a look of relief in his eyes. She looked away before she would get lost in his eyes.

"Hey." He mumbled. She sniffed and ignored him. He sighed his breath visible in the air. "_Dean's a jerk. Yelling at you like that, breaking up in front of everybody...the guy's a total jerk."_

Rory paused, pondering if she should agree with him or just continue ignoring him. He was kind of right, Dean was being a jerk breaking up with her like that, but who was she to talk? She kissed Jess while she was dating him, she forgot him when it came to Jess. She always mentally compared them and she would draw most of her attention to Jess.

Then, Rory felt herself relax, she felt herself calm down. It no longer bothered her, well not a much as it did a couple minutes ago. It didn't seen so wrong anymore. Jess. It was him; he could make her feel like this. So Dean _was_ rightIt wasn't supposed to be Bagboy and Bookworm, but Bookworm and _Hoodlum._ She knew that before so what happened? Why was she regretting it? It was _right! _

"_No, he's not. He's right. Everything he said. All those things about you and me, all those things about me lying to him and messing with his head. He was right."_

Jess didn't reply, he just stood there immobilized; unable to respond. She was finally free, she wasn't taken. She could be his they could become a couple. There was no one in the way anymore, no love triangles.

"_Well, wasn't he?" _Still she got nothing. It was to good to be true, why did she expect him to agree, she thought too much of him, once again. _"Fine, he was right about me, then. Now go away." _She ordered, holding back her tears.

Jess realized what impression he was giving her; he wasn't handling this the way he had wanted to. He thought they would get through this tonight, but it was still to early, she was still tender. Moment of honesty time; "_He was right…about all of it." _

Rory was in shock by his response, she was ecstatic and upset all at the same time. Her mother had never taught her how to handle herself in a situation like this. She was at a loss of words, until "_So what now?" _slipped out. She kicked herself mentally for sounding so desperate.

"_You definitely broken up with Dean?" _Jess asked, although the answer was obvious.

Rory nodded. "_Yeah, I'm definitely broken up with Dean."_

Jess mimicked her action. Only one thing left to do, and fortunately it was the easiest thing to take care of. _"Ok, I have to go take care of something then."_ And it was to get Shane out of the picture.

Rory nodded. Then a strong wind blew and Rory shivered. She hadn't brought her jacket, she just ran out without thinking twice.

Just as Jess was about to turn around, Rory had shivered. He knew this was what he was going to do was going to seem like one of those 'cliché' actions romantic boys do in the movies but he didn't care.

He shrugged of his jacket, and threw it to Rory. What could he say, romantic wasn't his type…

Rory felt something hit her shoulder and looked at it. It was his jacket. Rory smiled and looked up to thank him but he was gone. How'd he do it, Rory didn't know, all she knew was that maybe this night wasn't going to be as bad as she had thought.

**End.**

**A/N: **Nothing to cheesy, nothing out of the norm. This is the only ending I could come up with. I was going to write another chapter but I decided against it. I hope you enjoyed all ten chapters. I'm not so sure if I will be writing more for Gilmore Girls. I guess I lost hope in the show when Jess was no longer concerned. He was a great character and now that he has left, for good, I'm not so into it.

Anyways, thank you for all who reviewed and all who will review in the future. Keep a watchful eye out; you never know I may come up with something else.

-Chrissy xox


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